Sugar and lipid metabolism regulators in plants

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to novel nucleic acid and amino acid sequences associated with the metabolism of seed storage compounds in plants. More particularly novel lipid metabolism protein (LMP) sequences are provided herein. Preferably, the seed storage compounds are lipids, fatty acids, starches or seed storage proteins.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 10/100,294, which was filed on Mar. 18, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,105,723 and which claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/276,993 filed Mar. 16, 2001, both of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

A characteristic of seed development in most plants is the accumulation of storage compounds such as proteins, sugars and oil. This invention relates generally to nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins that are related to the presence of seed storage compounds in plants. More specifically, the present invention relates to nucleic acid sequences encoding sugar and lipid metabolism regulator proteins and the use of these sequences in transgenic plants.

2. Background Art

The study and genetic manipulation of plants has a long history that began even before the famed studies of Gregor Mendel. In perfecting this science, scientists have accomplished modification of particular traits in plants ranging from potato tubers having increased starch content to oilseed plants such as canola and sunflower having increased or altered fatty acid content. With the increased consumption and use of plant oils, the modification of seed oil content and seed oil levels has become increasingly widespread (e.g. Töpfer et al. 1995, Science 268: 681-686). Manipulation of biosynthetic pathways in transgenic plants provides a number of opportunities for molecular biologists and plant biochemists to affect plant metabolism giving rise to the production of specific higher-value products. The seed oil production or composition has been altered in numerous traditional oilseed plants such as soybean (U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,650), canola (U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,650), sunflower (U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,164) and rapeseed (Töpfer et al. 1995, Science 268: 681-686), and non-traditional oil seed plants such as tobacco (Cahoon et al. 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 11184-11188).

Plant seed oils comprise both neutral and polar lipids (see Table 1). The neutral lipids contain primarily triacylglycerol, which is the main storage lipid that accumulates in oil bodies in seeds. The polar lipids are mainly found in the various membranes of the seed cells, e.g. the endoplasmic reticulum, microsomal membranes and the cell membrane. The neutral and polar lipids contain several common fatty acids (see Table 2) and a range of less common fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of membrane lipids is highly regulated and only a select number of fatty acids are found in membrane lipids. On the other hand, a large number of unusual fatty acids can be incorporated into the neutral storage lipids in seeds of many plant species (Van de Loo F. J. et al. 1993, Unusual Fatty Acids in Lipid Metabolism in Plants pp. 91-126, editor T S Moore Jr. CRC Press; Millar et al. 2000, Trends Plant Sci. 5: 95-101).

TABLE 1 Plant Lipid Classes Neutral Lipids Triacylglycerol (TAG) Diacylglycerol (DAG) Monoacylglycerol (MAG) Polar Lipids Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) Digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) Phosphatidylcholine (PC) Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) Phosphatidylinositol (PI) Phosphatidylserine (PS) Sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol

TABLE 2 Common Plant Fatty Acids 16:0 Palmitic acid 16:1 Palmitoleic acid 16:3 Palmitolenic acid 18:0 Stearic acid 18:1 Oleic acid 18:2 Linoleic acid 18:3 Linolenic acid γ-18:3    Gamma-linolenic acid* 20:0 Arachidic acid 22:6 Docosahexanoic acid (DHA)* 20:2 Eicosadienoic acid 20:4 Arachidonic acid (AA)* 20:5 Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)* 22:1 Erucic acid *These fat acids do not normally occur in plant seed oils, but their production in transgenic plant seed oil is of importance in plant biotechnology.

Lipids are synthesized from fatty acids and their synthesis may be divided into two parts: the prokaryotic and the eukaryotic pathway (Browse et al. 1986, Biochemical J. 235: 25-31; Ohlrogge & Browse 1995, Plant Cell 7: 957-970). The prokaryotic pathway is located in plastids that are the primary site of fatty acid biosynthesis. Fatty acid synthesis begins with the conversion of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase). Malonyl-CoA is converted to malonyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) by the malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase. The enzyme beta-keto-acyl-ACP-synthase III (KAS III) catalyzes a condensation reaction in which the acyl group from acetyl-CoA is transferred to malonyl-ACP to form 3-ketobutyryl-ACP. In a subsequent series of condensation, reduction and dehydration reactions, the nascent fatty acid chain on the ACP cofactor is elongated by the step-by-step addition (condensation) of two carbon atoms donated by malonyl-ACP until a 16- or 18-carbon saturated fatty acid chain is formed. The plastidial delta-9 acyl-ACP desaturase introduces the first unsaturated double bond into the fatty acid. Thioesterases cleave the fatty acids from the ACP cofactor and free fatty acids are exported to the cytoplasm where they participate as fatty acyl-CoA esters in the eukaryotic pathway. In this pathway, the fatty acids are esterified by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase to the sn-1 and sn-2 positions of glycerol-3-phosphate, respectively, to yield phosphatidic acid (PA). The PA is the precursor for other polar and neutral lipids, the latter being formed in the Kennedy pathway (Voelker 1996, Genetic Engineering ed.: Setlow 18: 111-113; Shanklin & Cahoon 1998, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 49: 611-641; Frentzen 1998, Lipids 100: 161-166; Millar et al. 2000, Trends Plant Sci. 5: 95-101).

Acetyl-CoA in the plastids is the central precursor for lipid biosynthesis. Acetyl-CoA can be formed in the plastids by different reactions and the exact contribution of each reaction is still being debated (Ohlrogge & Browse 1995, Plant Cell 7: 957-970). It is however accepted that a large part of the acetyl-CoA is derived from glucose-6-phosphate and pyruvate that are imported from the cytoplasm into the plastids. Sucrose is produced in the source organs (leaves, or anywhere that photosynthesis occurs) and is transported to the developing seeds that are also termed sink organs. In the developing seeds, the sucrose is the precursor for all the storage compounds, i.e. starch, lipids and partly the seed storage proteins. Therefore, it is clear that carbohydrate metabolism in which sucrose plays a central role is very important to the accumulation of seed storage compounds.

Although lipid and fatty acid content of seed oil can be modified by the traditional methods of plant breeding, the advent of recombinant DNA technology has allowed for easier manipulation of the seed oil content of a plant, and in some cases, has allowed for the alteration of seed oils in ways that could not be accomplished by breeding alone (see, e.g., Töpfer et al. 1995, Science 268: 681-686). For example, introduction of a Δ¹²-hydroxylase nucleic acid sequence into transgenic tobacco resulted in the introduction of a novel fatty acid, ricinoleic acid, into the tobacco seed oil (Van de Loo et al. 1995, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92: 6743-6747). Tobacco plants have also been engineered to produce low levels of petroselinic acid by the introduction and expression of an acyl-ACP desaturase from coriander (Cahoon et al. 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 89: 11184-11188).

The modification of seed oil content in plants has significant medical, nutritional and economic ramifications. With regard to the medical ramifications, the long chain fatty acids (C18 and longer) found in many seed oils have been linked to reductions in hypercholesterolemia and other clinical disorders related to coronary heart disease (Brenner 1976, Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 83: 85-101). Therefore, consumption of a plant having increased levels of these types of fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease. Enhanced levels of seed oil content also increase large-scale production and thereby reduce the cost of these oils.

In order to increase or alter the levels of compounds such as seed oils in plants, nucleic acid sequences and proteins regulating lipid and fatty acid metabolism must be identified. As mentioned earlier, several desaturase nucleic acids such as the Δ⁶-desaturase nucleic acid, Δ¹²-desaturase nucleic acid and acyl-ACP desaturase nucleic acid have been cloned and demonstrated to encode enzymes required for fatty acid synthesis in various plant species. Oleosin nucleic acid sequences from such different species as Brassica, soybean, carrot, pine and Arabidopsis thaliana have also been cloned and determined to encode proteins associated with the phospholipid monolayer membrane of oil bodies in those plants.

Storage lipids in seeds are synthesized from carbohydrate derived precursors. Plants do have a complete glycolytic pathway in the cytosol (Plaxton 1996, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 47: 185-214) and it has been shown that a complete pathway also exists in the plastids of rapeseeds (Kang & Rawsthorne 1994, Plant J. 6: 795-805). Sucrose is the primary source of carbon and energy, transported from the leaves into the developing seeds. During the storage phase of seeds, sucrose is converted in the cytosol to provide the metabolic precursors glucose-6-phosphate and pyruvate. These are transported into the plastids and converted into acetyl-CoA that serves as the primary precursor for the synthesis of fatty acids. Although several nucleic acids that are involved in enzymatic steps of the metabolism of lipids, fatty acids and starch have been cloned and identified, there are likely a multitude of such plant nucleic acids that have yet to be identified. Phenotypic analysis of several oilseed plants and other mutated plants has revealed other putative proteins involved in plant lipid metabolism, but the prior art has yet to describe the genomic location of these proteins or the sequence of the nucleic acids that encode them.

An exemplary study is that of the oilseed plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Focks and Benning (1998, Plant Physiol. 118: 91-101) isolated and characterized a wrinkled mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana designated wri1. The wri1 mutant has a decreased seed oil content that was speculated to be due to a defect in the seed-specific regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. In the wri1 mutant, the activities of several glycoltic enzymes were reduced and the mutant seeds were impaired in the incorporation of sucrose and glucose into triacylglycerol lipids, while important precursor molecules for plastidial lipid biosynthesis, like pyruvate and acetate, were incorporated at increased rates. This biochemical evidence was interpreted by Focks & Benning (1998, Plant Physiol. 118: 91-101) as indication that the WRI1 protein could be a regulatory protein governing carbohydrate metabolism during seed development.

The regulation of protein phosphorylation by kinases and phosphatases is accepted as a universal mechanism of cellular control (Cohen 1992, Trends Biochem. Sci, 17: 408-413), and Ca²⁺ and calmodulin signals are frequently transduced via Ca²⁺ and calmodulin-dependent kinases and phosphatases (Roberts & Harmon 1992, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 43: 375-414.). Okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, has been found to affect both gibberellic (GA) and absisic acid (ABA) pathways (Kuo et al. 1996, Plant Cell. 8: 259-269). Although the molecular basis of GA and ABA signal transduction remains poorly understood, it seems well established that the two phytohormones are involved in overall regulatory processes in seed development (e.g. Ritchie & Gilroy 1998, Plant Physiol. 116: 765-776).

There is a clear need to specifically identify factors that are more specific for the developmental regulation of storage compound accumulation. In order to find specific key regulatory genes controlling seed oil and sugar biosynthesis, transcription factors, protein kinases and phosphates provide proteins which can alter seed storage compound production. Elucidating the function of genes directly and/or indirectly involved in oil production provides important information for designing new strategies for crop improvement. There is a need, therefore, to identify genes which have the capacity to confer altered or increased oil production to its host plant and to other plant species. Particularly well suited plants for this purpose are oilseed plants containing high amounts of lipid compounds like rapeseed, canola, linseed, soybean, sunflower maize, oat, rye, barley, wheat, sugarbeet, tagetes, cotton, oil palm, coconut palm, flax, castor and peanut, for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides novel isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences associated with the metabolism of seed storage compounds in plants. More particularly, the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid from a moss encoding a Lipid Metabolism Protein (LMP), or a portion thereof. The moss can be, but is not limited to, Physcomitrella patens or Ceratodon purpureus. These sequences may be used to modify or increase lipids or oil and/or fatty acids, cofactors, carbohydrates, and enzymes in microorganisms and plants.

Mosses and algae are the only known plant systems that produce considerable amounts of fatty acids like arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid (see, e.g., Table 2). Therefore, nucleic acid molecules originating from a moss like Physcomitrella patens are especially suited to modify the lipid and fatty acid metabolism in a host, especially in microorganisms and plants. Furthermore, nucleic acids from the moss Physcomitrella patens can be used to identify those DNA sequences and enzymes in other species which are useful to modify the biosynthesis of precursor molecules of fatty acids in the respective organisms.

The present invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid comprising a fragment of at least 15 nucleotides of a nucleic acid from a moss encoding a Lipid Metabolism Protein (LMP), or a portion thereof.

Also provided by the present invention are polypeptides encoded by the nucleic acids, and heterologous polypeptides comprising polypeptides encoded by the nucleic acids, and antibodies to those polypeptides.

More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of LMP nucleic acids in the production of transgenic plants having a modified level of a seed storage compound. A method of producing a transgenic plant with a modified level of a seed storage compound includes the steps of transforming a plant cell with an expression vector comprising a LMP nucleic acid, and generating a plant with a modified level of the seed storage compound from the plant cell. In a preferred embodiment, the plant is an oil producing species selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, canola, linseed, soybean, sunflower, maize, oat, rye, barley, wheat, sugarbeet, tagetes, cotton, oil palm, coconut palm, flax, castor and peanut, for example.

Also included herein is a seed produced by a transgenic plant transformed by a LMP DNA sequence, wherein the seed contains the LMP DNA sequence and wherein the plant is true breeding for a modified level of a seed storage compound. The present invention additionally includes a seed oil produced by the aforementioned seed.

Further provided by the present invention are vectors comprising the nucleic acids, host cells containing the vectors, and descendent plant materials produced by transforming a plant cell with the nucleic acids and/or vectors.

According to the present invention, the compounds, compositions, and methods described herein can be used to increase or decrease the level of a lipid in a seed oil, or to increase or decrease the level of a fatty acid in a seed oil, or to increase or decrease the level of a starch or other carbohydrate in a seed or plant. A method of producing a higher or lower than normal or typical level of storage compound in a transgenic plant, comprises expressing a LMP nucleic acid from Physcomitrella patens in the transgenic plant, wherein the transgenic plant is a species different from Physcomitrella patens. Also included herein are compositions and methods of the modification of the efficiency of production of a seed storage compound.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel isolated LMP nucleic acids and isolated LMP amino acid sequences from Physcomitrella patens, as well as active fragments, analogs, and orthologs thereof and allelic variants and active fragments, analogs, and orthologs thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide transgenic plants having modified levels of seed storage compounds, and in particular, modified levels of a lipid, a fatty acid or a starch.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods for producing such aforementioned transgenic plants.

It is another object of the present invention to provide descendants, seeds, reproducible cell material, and seed oils from such aforementioned transgenic plants.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a polypeptide comprising culturing the host cell provided herein under conditions appropriate for the host cell to express the nucleic acid and thereby produce the polypeptide.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an isolated LMP polypeptide from mosses, plants, or algae, or a portion thereof especially wherein the polypeptide is involved in increased or altered fatty acid production, or allelic variants thereof, and compounds further comprising heterologous polypeptides thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an antibody which specifically binds to a LMP polypeptide provided herein or a compound derived therefrom, or a portion thereof. These antibodies can be used, for example, to identify and/or purify LMP polypeptides or fragments thereof. These antibodies can be used as part of a kit.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a test kit comprising a portion and/or a complement of the nucleic acid provided herein, which can be used, for example, as a probe or primer for identifying and/or cloning nucleic acid molecules involved in increased or altered fatty acid production.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of increasing or altering the fatty acid production of a cell comprising culturing a cell containing a vector as provided herein such that the fatty acid composition of the cell is altered or increased.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for increasing or altering fatty acid production of a cell, comprising culturing a cell whose genomic DNA has been altered by the inclusion of a nucleic acid molecule provided herein.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIGS. 1A-C: FIG. 1A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: s_pp001031077f from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:1) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2908 nucleotides. FIG. 1B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:1 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:2) (Clone ID NO: s_pp001031077f) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2493 nucleotides. FIG. 1C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 (SEQ ID NO:3) (Clone ID NO: s_pp001031077f) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 831 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIG. 2A-C: FIG. 2A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: s_pp001117032r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:4) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1122 nucleotides. FIG. 2B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:4 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:5) (Clone ID NO: s_pp001117032r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 933 nucleotides. FIG. 2C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:5 (SEQ ID NO:6) (Clone ID NO: s_pp001117032r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 311 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 3A-C: FIG. 3A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp001113065r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:7) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2417 nucleotides. FIG. 3B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:7 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:8) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001113065r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1323 nucleotides. FIG. 3C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8 (SEQ ID NO:9) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001113065r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 441 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 4A-C: FIG. 4A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp004047195r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:10) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1818 nucleotides. FIG. 4B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:10 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:11) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004047195r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1419 nucleotides. FIG. 4C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:11 (SEQ ID NO:12) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004047195r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 473 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 5A-C: FIG. 5A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp001058012r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:13) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1274 nucleotides. FIG. 5B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:13 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:14) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001058012r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1017 nucleotides. FIG. 5C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:14 (SEQ ID NO:15) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001058012r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 339 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 6A-C: FIG. 6A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp001009079f from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:16) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1626 nucleotides. FIG. 6B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:16 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:17) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001009079f) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1455 nucleotides. FIG. 6C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:17 (SEQ ID NO:18) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001009079f) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 485 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 7A-C: FIG. 7A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp004076330r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:19) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2291 nucleotides. FIG. 7B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:19 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:20) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004076330r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2052 nucleotides. FIG. 7C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:20 (SEQ ID NO:21) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004076330r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 684 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 8A-C: FIG. 8A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp004040301r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:22) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1962 nucleotides. FIG. 5B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:22 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:23) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004040301r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1944 nucleotides. FIG. 5C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:23 (SEQ ID NO:24) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004040301r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 648 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 9A-C: FIG. 9A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp002024092r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:25) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2321 nucleotides. FIG. 9B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:25 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:26) (Clone ID NO: c_pp002024092r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 2241 nucleotides. FIG. 9C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:26 (SEQ ID NO:27) (Clone ID NO: c_pp002024092r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 747 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 10A-C: FIG. 10A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp001031042f from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:28) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1072 nucleotides. FIG. 10B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:28 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:29) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001031042f) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 930 nucleotides. FIG. 10C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:29 (SEQ ID NO:30) (Clone ID NO: c_pp001031042f) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 310 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 11A-C. FIG. 11A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp032010072r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:31) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1275 nucleotides. FIG. 11B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:31 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:32) (Clone ID NO: c_pp032010072r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1209 nucleotides. FIG. 11C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:32 (SEQ ID NO:33) (Clone ID NO: c_pp032010072r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 403 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 12A-C. FIG. 12A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: s_pp001068093r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:34) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1939 nucleotides. FIG. 12B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:34 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:35) (Clone ID NO: s_pp001068093r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1776 nucleotides. FIG. 12C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:35 (SEQ ID NO:36) (Clone ID NO: s_pp001068093r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 592 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 13A-C. FIG. 13A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: s_pp013010011r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:37) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1522 nucleotides. FIG. 13B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:37 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:38) (Clone ID NO: s_pp013010011r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1092 nucleotides. FIG. 13C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:38 (SEQ ID NO:39) (Clone ID NO: s_pp013010011 r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 364 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

FIGS. 14A-C. FIG. 14A shows the polynucleotide sequences of Clone ID NO: c_pp004096088r from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:40) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1275 nucleotides. FIG. 14B shows the polynucleotide sequences of the open reading frame of SEQ ID NO:40 from Physcomitrella patens (SEQ ID NO:41) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004096088r) of the present invention. The polynucleotide sequence contains a sequence of 1209 nucleotides. FIG. 14C shows the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:41 (SEQ ID NO:42) (Clone ID NO: c_pp004096088r) of the present invention. The polypeptide sequence contains a sequence of 403 amino acids. The standard one-letter abbreviation for amino acids is used to illustrate the deduced amino acid sequence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to novel isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences associated with the metabolism of seed storage compounds in plants. The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the Examples included therein.

Before the present compounds, compositions, and methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to specific nucleic acids, specific polypeptides, specific cell types, specific host cells, specific conditions, or specific methods, etc., as such may, of course, vary, and the numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

As used in the specification and in the claims, “a” or “an” can mean one or more, depending upon the context in which it is used. Thus, for example, reference to “a cell” can mean that at least one cell can be utilized.

In accordance with the purpose(s) of this invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention, in one aspect, provides an isolated nucleic acid from a moss encoding a Lipid Metabolism Protein (LMP), or a portion thereof. One aspect of the invention pertains to isolated nucleic acid molecules that encode LMP polypeptides or biologically active portions thereof, as well as nucleic acid fragments sufficient for use as hybridization probes or primers for the identification or amplification of LMP-encoding nucleic acid (e.g., LMP DNA). As used herein, the term “nucleic acid molecule” is intended to include DNA molecules (e.g., cDNA or genomic DNA) and RNA molecules (e.g., mRNA) and analogs of the DNA or RNA generated using nucleotide analogs. This term also encompasses untranslated sequence located at both the 3′ and 5′ ends of the coding region of the gene: at least about 1000 nucleotides of sequence upstream from the 5 end of the coding region and at least about 200 nucleotides of sequence downstream from the 3′ end of the coding region of the gene. The nucleic acid molecule can be single-stranded or double-stranded, but preferably is double-stranded DNA.

An “isolated” nucleic acid molecule is one which is substantially separated from other nucleic acid molecules which are present in the natural source of the nucleic acid. Preferably, an “isolated” nucleic acid is substantially free of sequences which naturally flank the nucleic acid (i.e., sequences located at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the nucleic acid) in the genomic DNA of the organism from which the nucleic acid is derived. For example, in various embodiments, the isolated LMP nucleic acid molecule can contain less than about 5 kb, 4 kb, 3 kb, 2 kb, 1 kb, 0.5 kb or 0.1 kb of nucleotide sequences which naturally flank the nucleic acid molecule in genomic DNA of the cell from which the nucleic acid is derived (e.g, a Physcomitrella patens cell). Moreover, an “isolated” nucleic acid molecule, such as a cDNA molecule, can be substantially free of other cellular material, or culture medium when produced by recombinant techniques, or chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized.

Specifically excluded from the definition of “isolated nucleic acids” are: naturally-occurring chromosomes (such as chromosome spreads), artificial chromosome libraries, genomic libraries, and cDNA libraries that exist either as an in vitro nucleic acid preparation or as a transfected/transformed host cell preparation, wherein the host cells are either an in vitro heterogeneous preparation or plated as a heterogeneous population of single colonies. Also specifically excluded are the above libraries wherein a specified nucleic acid makes up less than 5% of the number of nucleic acid inserts in the vector molecules. Further specifically excluded are whole cell genomic DNA or whole cell RNA preparations (including whole cell preparations that are mechanically sheared or enzymatically digested). Even further specifically excluded are the whole cell preparations found as either an in vitro preparation or as a heterogeneous mixture separated by electrophoresis wherein the nucleic acid of the invention has not further been separated from the heterologous nucleic acids in the electrophoresis medium (e.g., further separating by excising a single band from a heterogeneous band population in an agarose gel or nylon blot).

In a preferred embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid of the invention comprises one of the polynucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41. These polynucleotide sequences correspond to the Physcomitrella patens LMP cDNAs of the invention. These cDNAs comprise sequences encoding LMPs (i.e., the “coding region”), as well as 5′ untranslated sequences and 3′ untranslated sequences or can contain whole genomic fragments isolated from genomic DNA. Alternatively, the nucleic acid molecules can comprise only the coding region of any of the polynucleotide sequences described herein. Examples of polynucleotides comprising only the coding region or open reading frame (ORF) are shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, or SEQ ID NO:41.

In another preferred embodiment an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encodes a polypeptide that is able to participate in the metabolism of seed storage compounds such as lipids, starch and seed storage proteins and that contains a transcription factor domain, a protein kinase domain or a signal transduction domain. Examples of isolated LMPs that contain such domains can be found in Table 4: LMPs containing a transcription factor domain include those shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:15 and SEQ ID NO:36; LMPs containing a protein kinase domain include those shown in SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:30 and SEQ ID NO:42; LMPs containing a signal transduction domain include those shown in SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:33 and SEQ ID NO:39.

In yet another preferred embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention comprises a nucleic acid molecule which is a complement of one of the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41, or a portion thereof. As used herein, the term “complementary” refers to a nucleotide sequence that can hybridize to one of the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41, thereby forming a stable duplex.

In still another preferred embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention comprises a polynucleotide sequence which is at least about 50-60%, preferably at least about 60-70%, more preferably at least about 70-80%, 80-90%, or 90-95%, and even more preferably at least about 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or more homologous to a nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41, or a portion thereof. In an additional preferred embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention comprises a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes, e.g., hybridizes under stringent conditions, to one of the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41, or a portion thereof. These hybridization conditions include washing with a solution having a salt concentration of about 0.02 molar at pH 7 at about 60° C.

Moreover, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention can comprise only a portion of one of the polynucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41, for example a fragment which can be used as a probe or primer or a fragment encoding a biologically active portion of a LMP. The nucleotide sequences determined from the cloning of the LMP genes from P. patens allows for the generation of probes and primers designed for use in identifying and/or cloning LMP homologues in other cell types and organisms, as well as LMP homologues from other mosses or related species.

Therefore, this invention also provides compounds comprising the nucleic acids disclosed herein, or fragments thereof. These compounds include the nucleic acids attached to a moiety. These moieties include, but are not limited to, detection moieties, hybridization moieties, purification moieties, delivery moieties, reaction moieties, binding moieties, and the like. The probe/primer typically comprises substantially purified oligonucleotide. The oligonucleotide typically comprises a region of nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to at least about 12, preferably about 25, more preferably about 40, 50 or 75 consecutive nucleotides of a sense strand of one of the LMP polynucleotide sequences described herein, an anti-sense sequence of one of the LMP polynucleotide sequences described herein, or naturally occurring mutants thereof. Primers based on a LMP polynucleotide sequence described herein can be used in PCR reactions to clone LMP homologues. Probes based on the LMP nucleotide sequences can be used to detect transcripts or genomic sequences encoding the same or homologous proteins. In preferred embodiments, the probe further comprises a label group attached thereto, e.g. the label group can be a radioisotope, a fluorescent compound, an enzyme, or an enzyme co-factor. Such probes can be used as a part of a genomic marker test kit for identifying cells which express a LMP, such as by measuring a level of a LMP-encoding nucleic acid in a sample of cells, e.g., detecting LMP mRNA levels or determining whether a genomic LMP gene has been mutated or deleted.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention encodes a protein or portion thereof which includes an amino acid sequence which is sufficiently homologous to a LMP amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42 such that the protein or portion thereof maintains the same or a similar function as the LMP amino acid sequence. As used herein, the language “sufficiently homologous” refers to proteins or portions thereof that have amino acid sequences that include a minimum number of identical or equivalent amino acid residues when compared to an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42 such that the protein or portion thereof is able to participate in the metabolism of seed storage compounds such as lipids, starch and seed storage proteins or has an activity described in Table 3.

As altered or increased fatty acid production is a general trait wished to be inherited into a wide variety of plants like maize, wheat, rye, oat, triticale, rice, barley, soybean, peanut, cotton, rapeseed and canola, sunflower, tagetes, sugarbeet, solanaceous plants like potato, tobacco, eggplant, and tomato, Vicia species, pea, alfalfa, bushy plants (coffee, cacao, tea), Salix species, trees (oil palm, coconut) and perennial grasses and forage crops, these crops plants are also preferred target plants for genetic engineering as one further embodiment of the present invention.

Portions of proteins encoded by the LMP nucleic acid molecules of the invention are preferably biologically active portions of one of the LMPs. As used herein, the term “biologically active portion of a LMP” is intended to include a portion, e.g., a domain/motif, of a LMP that participates in the metabolism of compounds necessary for the production of seed storage compounds, for the construction of cellular membranes in microorganisms or plants, or in the transport of molecules across these membranes, or has an activity as set forth in Table 3. To determine whether a LMP or a biologically active portion thereof can participate in the metabolism of compounds necessary for the production of seed storage compounds and cellular membranes, an assay of enzymatic activity may be performed. Such assay methods are well known to those skilled in the art, as detailed in Example 14.

Biologically active portions of a LMP include peptides comprising amino acid sequences derived from the amino acid sequence of a LMP (e.g., an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42 or the amino acid sequence of a protein homologous to a LMP, which include fewer amino acids than a full length LMP or the full length protein which is homologous to a LMP) and exhibit at least one activity of a LMP. Typically, biologically active portions (peptides, e.g., peptides which are, for example, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 50, 100 or more amino acids in length) comprise a domain or motif with at least one activity of a LMP. Moreover, other biologically active portions, in which other regions of the protein are deleted, can be prepared by recombinant techniques and evaluated for one or more of the activities described herein. Preferably, the biologically active portions of a LMP include one or more selected domains/motifs or portions thereof having biological activity.

Additional nucleic acid fragments encoding biologically active portions of a LMP can be prepared by isolating a portion of one of the sequences, expressing the encoded portion of the LMP or peptide (e.g., by recombinant expression in vitro) and assessing the activity of the encoded portion of the LMP or peptide.

The invention further encompasses nucleic acid molecules that differ from one of the polynucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41 (and portions thereof) due to degeneracy of the genetic code and thus encode the same LMP as that encoded by the aforementioned polynucleotide sequences. In a further embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention encodes a full length Physcomitrella patens protein which is substantially homologous to an amino acid sequence of a polypeptide encoded by an open reading frame shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, or SEQ ID NO:41.

In addition to the Physcomitrella patens LMP nucleotide sequences described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that DNA sequence polymorphisms that lead to changes in the amino acid sequences of LMPs may exist within a population (e.g., the Physcomitrella patens population). Such genetic polymorphism in the LMP gene may exist among individuals within a population due to natural variation. As used herein, the terms “gene” and “recombinant gene” refer to nucleic acid molecules comprising an open reading frame encoding a LMP, preferably a Physcomitrella patens LMP. Such natural variations can typically result in 1-5% variance in the nucleotide sequence of the LMP gene. Any and all such nucleotide variations and resulting amino acid polymorphisms in LMP that are the result of natural variation and that do not alter the functional activity of LMPs are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

Nucleic acid molecules corresponding to natural variants and non-Physcomitrella patens orthologs of the Physcomitrella patens LMP cDNA of the invention can be isolated based on their homology to Physcomitrella patens LMP nucleic acid disclosed herein using the Physcomitrella patens cDNA, or a portion thereof, as a hybridization probe according to standard hybridization techniques under stringent hybridization conditions. As used herein with regard to hybridization for DNA to DNA blot, the term “stringent conditions” refers to hybridization overnight at 60° C. in 10× Denhart's solution, 6×SSC, 0.5% SDS and 100 μg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA. Blots are washed sequentially at 62° C. for 30 minutes each time in 3×SSC/0.1% SDS, followed by 1×SSC/0.1% SDS and finally 0.1×SSC/0.1% SDS. As also used herein, “highly stringent conditions” refers to hybridization overnight at 65° C. in 10× Denhart's solution, 6×SSC, 0.5% SDS and 100 g/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA. Blots are washed sequentially at 65° C. for 30 minutes each time in 3×SSC/0.1% SDS, followed by 1×SSC/0.1% SDS and finally 0.1×SSC/0.1% SDS. Methods for nucleic acid hybridizations are described in Meinkoth and Wahl, 1984 Anal. Biochem. 138:267-284; Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Chapter 2, Ausubel et al. Eds., Greene Publishing and Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1995; and Tijssen, Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Hybridization with Nucleic Acid Probes, Part I, Chapter 2, Elsevier, New York, 1993. Preferably, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention that hybridizes under stringent or highly stringent conditions to a sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41 corresponds to a naturally occurring nucleic acid molecule. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid encodes a natural Physcomitrella patens LMP.

Accordingly, in another embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention is at least 15 nucleotides in length and hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19 SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41. In other embodiments, the nucleic acid is at least 30, 50, 100, 250 or more nucleotides in length.

In addition to naturally-occurring variants of the LMP sequence that may exist in the population, the skilled artisan will further appreciate that changes can be introduced by mutation into a LMP polynucleotide sequence provided herein, thereby leading to changes in the amino acid sequence of the encoded LMP, without altering the functional ability of the LMP. For example, nucleotide substitutions leading to amino acid substitutions at “non-essential” amino acid residues can be made in a LMP polynucleotide sequence. A “non-essential” amino acid residue is a residue that can be altered from the wild-type sequence of one of the LMPs provided herein without altering the activity of said LMP, whereas an “essential” amino acid residue is required for LMP activity. Other amino acid residues, however, (e.g., those that are not conserved or only semi-conserved in the domain having LMP activity) may not be essential for activity and thus are likely to be amenable to alteration without altering LMP activity.

Accordingly, another aspect of the invention pertains to nucleic acid molecules encoding LMPs that contain changes in amino acid residues that are not essential for LMP activity. Such LMPs differ in amino acid sequence from a sequence yet retain at least one of the LMP activities described herein. In one embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein, wherein the protein comprises an amino acid sequence at least about 50% homologous to an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42 and is capable of participation in the metabolism of compounds necessary for the production of seed storage compounds in Physcomitrella patens, or cellular membranes, or has one or more activities set forth in Table 3. Preferably, the protein encoded by the nucleic acid molecule is at least about 50-60% homologous, more preferably at least about 60-70% homologous, even more preferably at least about 70-80%, 80-90%, 90-95% homologous, and most preferably at least about 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% homologous to one of the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42.

To determine the percent homology of two amino acid sequences (e.g., the sequences of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO, 18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42, and a mutant or homolog thereof), the sequences are aligned for optimal comparison purposes (e.g., gaps can be introduced in the sequence of one polypeptide for optimal alignment with the other polypeptide). The amino acid residues at corresponding amino acid positions are then compared. When a position in one sequence (e.g., SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12 SEQ ID NO:15 SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42) is occupied by the same amino acid residue as the corresponding position in the other sequence (e.g., a mutant or homolog of the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42), then the molecules are identical at that position. The same type of comparison can be made between two nucleic acid sequences.

As used herein amino acid or nucleic acid “homology” is equivalent to amino acid or nucleic acid “identity”. Accordingly, the percent sequence identity between the two sequences is a function of the number of identical positions shared by the sequences (i.e., percent sequence identity=numbers of identical positions/total numbers of positions×100). For the purposes of the invention, the percent sequence identity between two polynucleotide or polypeptide sequences is determined using the Vector NTI 6.0 (PC) software package (InforMax, 7600 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md. 20814). A gap opening penalty of 15 and a gap extension penalty of 6.66 are used for determining the percent identity of two polynucleotides. A gap opening penalty of 10 and a gap extension penalty of 0.1 are used for determining the percent identity of two polypeptides. All other parameters are set at the default settings. It is to be understood that for the purposes of determining sequence identity when comparing a DNA sequence to an RNA sequence, a thymidine nucleotide is equivalent to a uracil nucleotide.

An isolated LMP homolog or mutant can also be created by introducing one or more nucleotide substitutions, additions or deletions into a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:41 such that one or more amino acid substitutions, additions or deletions are introduced into the encoded protein. Mutations can be introduced into one of the LMP polynucleotide sequences of the present invention by standard techniques, such as site-directed mutagenesis and PCR-mediated mutagenesis. Preferably, conservative amino acid substitutions are made at one or more predicted non-essential amino acid residues. A “conservative amino acid substitution” is one in which the amino acid residue is replaced with an amino acid residue having a similar side chain. Families of amino acid residues having similar side chains have been defined in the art. These families include amino acids with basic side chains (e.g., lysine, arginine, histidine), acidic side chains (e.g., aspartic acid, glutamic acid), uncharged polar side chains (e.g., glycine, asparagine, glutamine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, cysteine), nonpolar side chains (e.g., alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan), beta-branched side chains (e.g., threonine, valine, isoleucine) and aromatic side chains (e.g., tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, histidine). Thus, a predicted non-essential amino acid residue in a LMP is preferably replaced with another amino acid residue from the same side chain family. Alternatively, in another embodiment, mutations can be introduced randomly along all or part of a LMP coding sequence, such as by saturation mutagenesis, and the resultant mutants can be screened for a LMP activity described herein to identify mutants that retain LMP activity. Following mutagenesis of one of the LMP polynucleotide sequences, the encoded protein can be expressed recombinantly and the activity of the protein can be determined using, for example, assays described in the Examples below.

LMPs are preferably produced by recombinant DNA techniques. For example, a nucleic acid molecule encoding the protein is cloned into an expression vector, the expression vector is introduced into a host cell and the LMP is expressed in the host cell using methods known to those of skill in the art. The LMP can then be isolated from the cells by an appropriate purification scheme using standard protein purification techniques. Alternative to recombinant expression, a LMP, polypeptide or peptide, can be synthesized chemically using standard peptide synthesis techniques. Moreover, native LMP can be isolated from cells (e.g., Physcomitrella patens cells), for example using an anti-LMP antibody, which can be produced by standard techniques utilizing a LMP or fragment thereof of this invention.

The invention also provides LMP chimeric or fusion proteins. As used herein, a LMP “chimeric protein” or “fusion protein” comprises a IMP polypeptide operatively linked to a non-LMP polypeptide. An “LMP polypeptide” refers to a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence corresponding to a LMP, whereas a “non-LMP polypeptide” refers to a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence corresponding to a protein which is not substantially homologous to the LMP, e.g., a protein which is different from the LMP and which is derived from the same or a different organism. Within the fusion protein, the term “operatively linked” is intended to indicate that the LMP polypeptide and the non-LMP polypeptide are fused to each other so that both sequences fulfill the proposed function attributed to the sequence used. The non-LMP polypeptide can be fused to the N-terminus or C-terminus of the LMP polypeptide. For example, in one embodiment, the fusion protein is a GST-LMP fusion protein in which the LMP sequences are fused to the C-terminus of the GST sequences. Such fusion proteins can facilitate the purification of recombinant LMPs. In another embodiment, the fusion protein is a LMP containing a heterologous signal sequence at its N-terminus. In certain host cells (e.g., mammalian host cells), expression and/or secretion of a LMP can be increased through use of a heterologous signal sequence.

Preferably, a LMP chimeric or fusion protein of the invention is produced by standard recombinant DNA techniques. For example, DNA fragments coding for the different polypeptide sequences are ligated together in-frame in accordance with conventional techniques, for example by employing blunt-ended or stagger-ended termini for ligation, restriction enzyme digestion to provide for appropriate termini, filling-in of cohesive ends as appropriate, alkaline phosphatase treatment to avoid undesirable joining, and enzymatic ligation. In another embodiment the fusion gene can be synthesized by conventional techniques including automated DNA synthesizers. Alternatively, PCR amplification of gene fragments can be carried out using anchor primers which give rise to complementary overhangs between two consecutive gene fragments which can subsequently be annealed and reamplified to generate a chimeric gene sequence (see, for example, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, eds. Ausubel et al., John Wiley & Sons: 1992). Moreover, many expression vectors are commercially available that already encode a fusion moiety (e.g., a GST polypeptide). An LMP-encoding nucleic acid can be cloned into such an expression vector such that the fusion moiety is linked in-frame to the LMP.

In addition to the nucleic acid molecules encoding LMPs described above, another aspect of the invention pertains to isolated nucleic acid molecules which are antisense thereto. An “antisense” nucleic acid comprises a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to a “sense” nucleic acid encoding a protein, e.g., complementary to the coding strand of a double-stranded cDNA molecule or complementary to an mRNA sequence. Accordingly, an antisense nucleic acid can hydrogen bond to a sense nucleic acid. The antisense nucleic acid can be complementary to an entire LMP coding strand, or to only a portion thereof. In one embodiment, an antisense nucleic acid molecule is antisense to a “coding region” of the coding strand of a nucleotide sequence encoding a LMP. The term “coding region” is defined above. In another embodiment, the antisense nucleic acid molecule is antisense to a “noncoding region” of the coding strand of a nucleotide sequence encoding LMP. The term “noncoding region” refers to 5′ and 3′ sequences which flank the coding region that are not translated into amino acids (i.e., also referred to as 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions).

Given the coding strand sequences encoding LMPs disclosed herein, antisense nucleic acids of the invention can be designed according to the rules of Watson and Crick base pairing. The antisense nucleic acid molecule can be complementary to the entire coding region of LMP mRNA, but more preferably is an oligonucleotide which is antisense to only a portion of the coding or noncoding region of LMP mRNA. For example, the antisense oligonucleotide can be complementary to the region surrounding the translation start site of LMP mRNA. An antisense oligonucleotide can be, for example, about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 nucleotides in length. An antisense nucleic acid of the invention can be constructed using chemical synthesis and enzymatic ligation reactions using procedures known in the art. For example, an antisense nucleic acid (e.g., an antisense oligonucleotide) can be chemically synthesized using naturally occurring nucleotides or variously modified nucleotides designed to increase the biological stability of the molecules or to increase the physical stability of the duplex formed between the antisense and sense nucleic acids, e.g., phosphorothioate derivatives and acridine substituted nucleotides can be used. Examples of modified nucleotides which can be used to generate the antisense nucleic acid include 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-chlorouracil, 5-iodouracil, hypoxanthine, xanthine, 4-acetylcytosine, 5-(carboxyhydroxylmethyl) uracil, 5-carboxymethylamino-methyl-2-thiouridine, 5-carboxymethylaminomethyluracil, dihydrouracil, beta-D-galactosylqueosine, inosine, N-6-isopentenyladenine, 1-methylguanine, 1-methylinosine, 2,2-dimethylguanine, 2-methyladenine, 2-methylguanine, 3-methylcytosine, 5-methyl-cytosine, N-6-adenine, 7-methylguanine, 5-methylaminomethyluracil, 5-methoxyamino-methyl-2-thiouracil, beta-D-mannosylqueosine, 5′-methoxycarboxymethyluracil, 5-methoxyuracil, 2-methylthio-N-6-isopentenyladenine, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid (v), wybutoxosine, pseudouracil, queosine, 2-thiocytosine, 5-methyl-2-thiouracil, 2-thiouracil, 4-thiouracil, 5-methyluracil, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid methylester, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid (v), 5-methyl-2-thiouracil, 3-(3-amino-3-N-2-carboxypropyl) uracil, (acp3)w, and 2,6-diaminopurine. Alternatively, the antisense nucleic acid can be produced biologically using an expression vector into which a nucleic acid has been subcloned in an antisense orientation (i.e., RNA transcribed from the inserted nucleic acid will be of an antisense orientation to a target nucleic acid of interest, described further in the following subsection).

The antisense nucleic acid molecules of the invention are typically administered to a cell or generated in situ such that they hybridize with or bind to cellular mRNA and/or genomic DNA encoding a LMP to thereby inhibit expression of the protein, e.g., by inhibiting transcription and/or translation. The hybridization can be by conventional nucleotide complementarity to form a stable duplex, or, for example, in the case of an antisense nucleic acid molecule which binds to DNA duplexes, through specific interactions in the major groove of the double helix. The antisense molecule can be modified such that it specifically binds to a receptor or an antigen expressed on a selected cell surface, e.g., by linking the antisense nucleic acid molecule to a peptide or an antibody which binds to a cell surface receptor or antigen. The antisense nucleic acid molecule can also be delivered to cells using the vectors described herein. To achieve sufficient intracellular concentrations of the antisense molecules, vector constructs in which the antisense nucleic acid molecule is placed under the control of a strong prokaryotic, viral, or eukaryotic including plant promoters are preferred.

In yet another embodiment, the antisense nucleic acid molecule of the invention is an α-anomeric nucleic acid molecule. An α-anomeric nucleic acid molecule forms specific double-stranded hybrids with complementary RNA in which, contrary to the usual β-units, the strands run parallel to each other (Gaultier et al. 1987, Nucleic Acids Res. 15: 6625-6641). The antisense nucleic acid molecule can also comprise a 2′-o-methylribonucleotide (Inoue et al. 1987, Nucleic Acids Res. 15: 6131-6148) or a chimeric RNA-DNA analogue (Inoue et al. 1987, FEBS Lett. 215: 327-330).

In still another embodiment, an antisense nucleic acid of the invention is a ribozyme. Ribozymes are catalytic RNA molecules with ribonuclease activity which are capable of cleaving a single-stranded nucleic acid, such as an mRNA, to which they have a complementary region. Thus, ribozymes (e.g., hammerhead ribozymes (described in Haselhoff & Gerlach 1988, Nature 334: 585-591)) can be used to catalytically cleave LMP mRNA transcripts to thereby inhibit translation of LMP mRNA. A ribozyme having specificity for a LMP-encoding nucleic acid can be designed based upon the nucleotide sequence of a LMP cDNA disclosed herein (i.e., s_pp001031077f) or on the basis of a heterologous sequence to be isolated according to methods taught in this invention. For example, a derivative of a Tetrahymena L-19 IVS RNA can be constructed in which the nucleotide sequence of the active site is complementary to the nucleotide sequence to be cleaved in a LMP-encoding mRNA (see, e.g., Cech et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,071 and Cech et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,742). Alternatively, LMP mRNA can be used to select a catalytic RNA having a specific ribonuclease activity from a pool of RNA molecules (see, e.g., Bartel, D. & Szostak J. W. 1993, Science 261: 1411-1418).

Alternatively, LMP gene expression can be inhibited by targeting nucleotide sequences complementary to the regulatory region of a LMP nucleotide sequence (e.g., a LMP promoter and/or enhancers) to form triple helical structures that prevent transcription of a LMP gene in target cells (See generally, Helene C. 1991, Anticancer Drug Des. 6: 569-84; Helene C. et al. 1992, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 660: 27-36; and Maher, L. J. 1992, Bioassays 14: 807-15).

Another aspect of the invention pertains to vectors, preferably expression vectors, containing a nucleic acid encoding a LMP (or a portion thereof). As used herein, the term “vector” refers to a nucleic acid molecule capable of transporting another nucleic acid to which it has been linked. One type of vector is a “plasmid”, which refers to a circular double stranded DNA loop into which additional DNA segments can be ligated. Another type of vector is a viral vector, wherein additional DNA segments can be ligated into the viral genome. Certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced (e.g., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors). Other vectors (e.g., non-episomal mammalian vectors) are integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell, and thereby are replicated along with the host genome. Moreover, certain vectors are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked. Such vectors are referred to herein as “expression vectors”. In general, expression vectors of utility in recombinant DNA techniques are often in the form of plasmids. In the present specification, “plasmid” and “vector” can be used inter-changeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector. However, the invention is intended to include such other forms of expression vectors, such as viral vectors (e.g., replication defective retroviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses), which serve equivalent functions.

The recombinant expression vectors of the invention comprise a nucleic acid of the invention in a form suitable for expression of the nucleic acid in a host cell, which means that the recombinant expression vectors include one or more regulatory sequences, selected on the basis of the host cells to be used for expression, which is operatively linked to the nucleic acid sequence to be expressed. Within a recombinant expression vector, “operably linked” is intended to mean that the nucleotide sequence of interest is linked to the regulatory sequencers) in a manner which allows for expression of the nucleotide sequence are fused to each other so that both sequences fulfill the proposed function addicted to the sequence used. (e.g., in an in vitro transcription/translation system or in a host cell when the vector is introduced into the host cell). The term “regulatory sequence” is intended to include promoters, enhancers and other expression control elements (e.g., polyadenylation signals). Such regulatory sequences are described, for example, in Goeddel; Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. (1990) or see: Gruber and Crosby, in: Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., eds.: Glick & Thompson, Chapter 7, 89-108 including the references therein. Regulatory sequences include those which direct constitutive expression of a nucleotide sequence in many types of host cell and those which direct expression of the nucleotide sequence only in certain host cells or under certain conditions. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the design of the expression vector can depend on such factors as the choice of the host cell to be transformed, the level of expression of protein desired, etc. The expression vectors of the invention can be introduced into host cells to thereby produce proteins or peptides, including fusion proteins or peptides, encoded by nucleic acids as described herein (e.g., LMPs, mutant forms of LMPs, fusion proteins, etc.).

The recombinant expression vectors of the invention can be designed for expression of LMPs in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. For example, LMP genes can be expressed in bacterial cells, insect cells (using baculovirus expression vectors), yeast and other fungal cells (see Romanos M. A. et al. 1992, Foreign gene expression in yeast: a review. Yeast 8: 423-488; van den Hondel, C. A. M. J. J. et al. 1991, Heterologous gene expression in filamentous fungi, in: More Gene Manipulations in Fungi, Bennet & Lasure, eds., p. 396-428: Academic Press: San Diego; and van den Hondel & Punt 1991, Gene transfer systems and vector development for filamentous fungi, in: Applied Molecular Genetics of Fungi, Peberdy et al., eds., p. 1-28, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge), algae (Falciatore et al. 1999, Marine Biotechnology 1: 239-251), ciliates of the types: Holotrichia, Peritrichia, Spirotrichia, Suctoria, Tetrahymena, Paramecium, Colpidium, Glaucoma, Platyophrya, Potomacus, Pseudocohnilembus, Euplotes, Engelmaniella, and Stylonychia, especially of the genus Stylonychia lemnae with vectors following a transformation method as described in WO 98/01572 and multicellular plant cells (see Schmidt & Willmitzer 1988, High efficiency Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf and cotyledon explants, Plant Cell Rep.: 583-586); Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, C Press, Boca Raton, Fla., chapter 6/7, S.71-119 (1993); White, Jenes et al., Techniques for Gene Transfer, in: Transgenic Plants, Vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, eds.: Kung and Wu, Academic Press 1993, 128-43; Potrykus 1991, Annu, Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 42: 205-225 (and references cited therein) or mammalian cells. Suitable host cells are discussed further in Goeddel, Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. 1990). Alternatively, the recombinant expression vector can be transcribed and translated in vitro, for example using T7 promoter regulatory sequences and T7 polymerase.

Expression of proteins in prokaryotes is most often carried out with vectors containing constitutive or inducible promoters directing the expression of either fusion or non-fusion proteins. Fusion vectors add a number of amino acids to a protein encoded therein, usually to the amino terminus of the recombinant protein but also to the C-terminus or fused within suitable regions in the proteins. Such fusion vectors typically serve three purposes: 1) to increase expression of recombinant protein; 2) to increase the solubility of the recombinant protein; and 3) to aid in the purification of the recombinant protein by acting as a ligand in affinity purification. Often, in fusion expression vectors, a proteolytic cleavage site is introduced at the junction of the fusion moiety and the recombinant protein to enable separation of the recombinant protein from the fusion moiety subsequent to purification of the fusion protein. Such enzymes, and their cognate recognition sequences, include Factor Xa, thrombin and enterokinase.

Typical fusion expression vectors include pGEX (Pharmacia Biotech Inc; Smith & Johnson 1988, Gene 67: 31-40), pMAL (New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.) and pRIT5 (Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.) which fuse glutathione S-transferase (GST), maltose E binding protein, or protein A, respectively, to the target recombinant protein. In one embodiment, the coding sequence of the LMP is cloned into a pGEX expression vector to create a vector encoding a fusion protein comprising, from the N-terminus to the C-terminus, GST-thrombin cleavage site-X protein. The fusion protein can be purified by affinity chromatography using glutathione-agarose resin. Recombinant LMP unfused to GST can be recovered by cleavage of the fusion protein with thrombin.

Examples of suitable inducible non-fusion E. coli expression vectors include pTre (Amann et al. 1988, Gene 69: 301-315) and pET 11d (Studier et al. 1990, Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. 60-89). Target gene expression from the pTrc vector relies on host RNA polymerase transcription from a hybrid trp-lac fusion promoter. Target gene expression from the pET 11d vector relies on transcription from a T7 gn10-lac fusion promoter mediated by a coexpressed viral RNA polymerase (T7 gn1). This viral polymerase is supplied by host strains BL21(DE3) or HMS174(DE3) from a resident λ prophage harboring a T7 gn1 gene under the transcriptional control of the lacUV 5 promoter.

One strategy to maximize recombinant protein expression is to express the protein in a host bacteria with an impaired capacity to proteolytically cleave the recombinant protein (Gottesman S. 1990, Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology 185: 119-128, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif.). Another strategy is to alter the nucleic acid sequence of the nucleic acid to be inserted into an expression vector so that the individual codons for each amino acid are those preferentially utilized in the bacterium chosen for expression (Wada et al. 1992, Nucleic Acids Res. 20: 2111-2118). Such alteration of nucleic acid sequences of the invention can be carried out by standard DNA synthesis techniques.

In another embodiment, the LMP expression vector is a yeast expression vector. Examples of vectors for expression in yeast S. cerevisiae include pYepSec1 (Baldari et al. 1987, Embo J. 6: 229-234), pMFa (Kurjan & Herskowitz 1982, Cell 30: 933-943), pJRY88 (Schultz et al. 1987, Gene 54: 113-123), and pYES2 (Invitrogen Corporation, San Diego, Calif.). Vectors and methods for the construction of vectors appropriate for use in other fungi, such as the filamentous fungi, include those detailed in: van den Hondel & Punt 1991, “Gene transfer systems and vector development for filamentous fungi, in: Applied Molecular Genetics of Fungi, Peberdy et al., eds., p. 1-28, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.

Alternatively, the LMPs of the invention can be expressed in insect cells using baculovirus expression vectors. Baculovirus vectors available for expression of proteins in cultured insect cells (e.g., Sf 9 cells) include the pAc series (Smith et al. 1983, Mol. Cell Biol. 3: 2156-2165) and the pVL series (Lucklow & Summers 1989, Virology 170: 31-39).

In yet another embodiment, a nucleic acid of the invention is expressed in mammalian cells using a mammalian expression vector. Examples of mammalian expression vectors include pCDM8 (Seed 1987, Nature 329: 840) and pMT2PC (Kaufman et al. 1987, EMBO J. 6: 187-195). When used in mammalian cells, the expression vector's control functions are often provided by viral regulatory elements. For example, commonly used promoters are derived from polyoma, Adenovirus 2, cytomegalovirus and Simian Virus 40. For other suitable expression systems for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells see chapters 16 and 17 of Sambrook, Fritsh and Maniatis, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. 2nd, ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989.

In another embodiment, the LMPs of the invention may be expressed in uni-cellular plant cells (such as algae, see Falciatore et al. (1999, Marine Biotechnology 1: 239-251) and references therein and plant cells from higher plants (e.g., the spermato-phytes, such as crop plants)). Examples of plant expression vectors include those detailed in: Becker, Kemper, Schell and Masterson (1992, “New plant binary vectors with selectable markers located proximal to the left border”, Plant Mol. Biol. 20: 1195-1197) and Bevan (1984, “Binary Agrobacterium vectors for plant transformation, Nucleic Acids Res. 12: 8711-8721; Vectors for Gene Transfer in Higher Plants; in: Transgenic Plants, Vol. 1, Engineering and Utilization, eds.: Kung und R. Wu, Academic Press, 1993, S. 15-38).

A plant expression cassette preferably contains regulatory sequences capable to drive gene expression in plants cells and which are operably linked so that each sequence can fulfill its function such as termination of transcription such as polyadenylation signals. Preferred polyadenylation signals are those originating from Agrobacterium tumefaciens t-DNA such as the gene 3 known as octopine synthase of the Ti-plasmid pTiACH5 (Gielen et al. 1984, EMBO J. 3: 835 ff) or functional equivalents thereof but also all other terminators functionally active in plants are suitable.

As plant gene expression is very often not limited on transcriptional levels a plant expression cassette preferably contains other operably linked sequences like translational enhancers such as the overdrive-sequence containing the 5′-untranslated leader sequence from tobacco mosaic virus enhancing the protein per RNA ratio (Gallie et al. 1987, Nucleic Acids Res. 15: 8693-8711).

Plant gene expression has to be operably linked to an appropriate promoter conferring gene expression in a timely, cell or tissue specific manner. Preferred are promoters driving constitutive expression (Benfey et al. 1989, EMBO J. 8: 2195-2202) like those derived from plant viruses like the 35S CAMV (Franck et al. 1980, Cell 21: 285-294), the 19S CaMV (see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,605 and WO8402913) or plant promoters like those from Rubisco small subunit described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,028. Even more preferred are seed-specific promoters driving expression of LMP proteins during all or selected stages of seed development. Seed-specific plant promoters are know to the art and are identified and characterized using seed-specific mRNA libraries and expression profiling techniques. Seed-specific promoters include the napin-gene promoter from rapeseed_(U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,152), the USP-promoter from Vicia faba (Baeumlein et al. 1991, Mol. Gen. Genetics 225: 459-67), the oleosin-promoter from Arabidopsis (WO9845461), the phaseolin-promoter from Phaseolus vulgaris (U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,200), the Bce4-promoter from Brassica (WO9113980) or the legumin B4 promoter (LeB4; Baeumlein et al. 1992, Plant J. 2: 233-239) as well as promoters conferring seed specific expression in monocot plants like maize, barley, wheat, rye, rice etc. Suitable promoters to note are the lpt2 or lpt1-gene promoter from barley (WO 95/15389 and WO 95/23230) or those described in WO 99/16890 (promoters from the barley hordein-gene, the rice glutelin gene, the rice oryzin gene, the rice prolamin gene, the wheat gliadin gene, wheat glutelin gene, the maize zein gene, the oat glutelin gene, the Sorghum kasirin-gene, the rye secalin gene).

Plant gene expression can also be facilitated via an inducible promoter (for review see Gatz 1997, Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 48: 89-108). Chemically inducible promoters are especially suitable if gene expression is wanted to occur in a time specific manner. Examples for such promoters are a salicylic acid inducible promoter (WO 95/19443), a tetracycline inducible promoter (Gatz et al. 1992, Plant J. 2: 397-404) and an ethanol inducible promoter (WO 93/21334).

Also promoters responding to biotic or abiotic stress conditions are suitable promoters such as the pathogen inducible PRP1-gene promoter (Ward et al., 1993, Plant. Mol. Biol. 22: 361-366), the heat inducible hsp80-promoter from tomato (U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,267), cold inducible alpha-amylase promoter from potato (WO 96/12814) or the wound-inducible pinII-promoter (EP 375091).

Other preferred sequences for use in plant gene expression cassettes are targeting-sequences necessary to direct the gene-product in its appropriate cell compartment (for review see Kermode 1996, Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 15: 285-423 and references cited therein) such as the vacuole, the nucleus, all types of plastids like amyloplasts, chloroplasts, chromoplasts, the extracellular space, mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, oil bodies, peroxisomes and other compartments of plant cells. Also especially suited are promoters that confer plastid-specific gene expression as plastids are the compartment where precursors and some end products of lipid biosynthesis are synthesized. Suitable promoters such as the viral RNA-polymerase promoter are described in WO 95/16783 and WO 97/06250 and the clpP-promoter from Arabidopsis described in WO 99/46394.

The invention further provides a recombinant expression vector comprising a DNA molecule of the invention cloned into the expression vector in an antisense orientation. That is, the DNA molecule is operatively linked to a regulatory sequence in a manner which allows for expression (by transcription of the DNA molecule) of an RNA molecule which is antisense to LMP mRNA. Regulatory sequences operatively linked to a nucleic acid cloned in the antisense orientation can be chosen which direct the continuous expression of the antisense RNA molecule in a variety of cell types, for instance viral promoters and/or enhancers, or regulatory sequences can be chosen which direct constitutive, tissue specific or cell type specific expression of antisense RNA. The antisense expression vector can be in the form of a recombinant plasmid, phagemid or attenuated virus in which antisense nucleic acids are produced under the control of a high efficiency regulatory region, the activity of which can be determined by the cell type into which the vector is introduced. For a discussion of the regulation of gene expression using antisense genes see Weintraub et al. (1986, Antisense RNA as a molecular tool for genetic analysis, Reviews—Trends in Genetics, Vol. 1) and Mol et al. (1990, FEBS Lett. 268: 427-430).

Another aspect of the invention pertains to host cells into which a recombinant expression vector of the invention has been introduced. The terms “host cell” and “recombinant host cell” are used interchangeably herein. It is understood that such terms refer not only to the particular subject cell but to the progeny or potential progeny of such a cell. Because certain modifications may occur in succeeding generations due to either mutation or environmental influences, such progeny may not, in fact be identical to the parent cell, but are still included within the scope of the term as used herein. A host cell can be any prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell. For example, a LMP can be expressed in bacterial cells, insect cells, fungal cells or mammalian cells (such as Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) or COS cells), algae, ciliates, plant cells and fungi. Other suitable host cells are known to those skilled in the art.

Vector DNA can be introduced into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells via conventional transformation or transfection techniques. As used herein, the terms “transformation” and “transfection”, conjugation and transduction are intended to refer to a variety of art-recognized techniques for introducing foreign nucleic acid (e.g., DNA) into a host cell, including calcium phosphate or calcium chloride co-precipitation, DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection, lipofection, natural competence, chemical-mediated transfer, or electroporation. Suitable methods for transforming or transfecting host cells including plant cells can be found in Sambrook et al. (1989, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. 2nd, ed, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) and other laboratory manuals such as Methods in Molecular Biology 1995, Vol. 44, Agrobacterium protocols, ed: Gartland and Davey, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J.

For stable transfection of mammalian and plant cells, it is known that, depending upon the expression vector and transfection technique used, only a small fraction of cells may integrate the foreign DNA into their genome. In order to identify and select these integrants, a gene that encodes a selectable marker (e.g., resistance to antibiotics) is generally introduced into the host cells along with the gene of interest. Preferred selectable markers include those which confer resistance to drugs, such as G418, hygromycin, kanamycin and methotrexate or in plants that confer resistance towards a herbicide such as glyphosate or glufosinate. Nucleic acid encoding a selectable marker can be introduced into a host cell on the same vector as that encoding a LMP or can be introduced on a separate vector. Cells stably transfected with the introduced nucleic acid can be identified by, for example, drug selection (e.g., cells that have incorporated the selectable marker gene will survive, while the other cells die).

To create a homologous recombinant microorganism, a vector is prepared which contains at least a portion of a LMP gene into which a deletion, addition or substitution has been introduced to thereby alter, e.g., functionally disrupt, the LMP gene. Preferably, this LMP gene is a Physcomitrella patens LMP gene, but it can be a homologue from a related plant or even from a mammalian, yeast, or insect source. In a preferred embodiment, the vector is designed such that, upon homologous recombination, the endogenous LMP gene is functionally disrupted (i.e., no longer encodes a functional protein; also referred to as a knock-out vector). Alternatively, the vector can be designed such that, upon homologous recombination, the endogenous LMP gene is mutated or otherwise altered but still encodes functional protein (e.g., the upstream regulatory region can be altered to thereby alter the expression of the endogenous LMP). To create a point mutation via homologous recombination, DNA-RNA hybrids can be used in a technique known as chimeraplasty (Cole-Strauss et al. 1999, Nucleic Acids Res. 27: 1323-1330 and Kmiec 1999, American Scientist 87: 240-247). Homologous recombination procedures in Physcomitrella patens are also well known in the art and are contemplated for use herein.

In a homologous recombination vector, the altered portion of the LMP gene is flanked at its 5′ and 3′ ends by additional nucleic acid of the LMP gene to allow for homologous recombination to occur between the exogenous LMP gene carried by the vector and an endogenous LMP gene in a microorganism or plant. The additional flanking LMP nucleic acid is of sufficient length for successful homologous recombination with the endogenous gene. Typically, several hundreds of base pairs up to kilobases of flanking DNA (both at the 5′ and 3′ ends) are included in the vector (see e.g., Thomas & Capecchi 1987, Cell 51: 503, for a description of homologous recombination vectors or Strepp et al. 1998, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 4368-4373 for cDNA based recombination in Physcomitrella patens). The vector is introduced into a microorganism or plant cell (e.g., via polyethylene glycol mediated DNA). Cells in which the introduced LMP gene has homologously recombined with the endogenous LMP gene are selected using art-known techniques.

In another embodiment, recombinant microorganisms can be produced which contain selected systems which allow for regulated expression of the introduced gene. For example, inclusion of a LMP gene on a vector placing it under control of the lac operon permits expression of the LMP gene only in the presence of IPTG. Such regulatory systems are well known in the art.

A host cell of the invention, such as a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell in culture, can be used to produce (i.e., express) a LMP. Accordingly, the invention further provides methods for producing LMPs using the host cells of the invention. In one embodiment, the method comprises culturing the host cell of invention (into which a recombinant expression vector encoding a LMP has been introduced, or which contains a wild-type or altered LMP gene in it's genome) in a suitable medium until LMP is produced. In another embodiment, the method further comprises isolating LMPs from the medium or the host cell.

Another aspect of the invention pertains to isolated LMPs, and biologically active portions thereof. An “isolated” or “purified” protein or biologically active portion thereof includes a protein that is substantially free of cellular material when produced by recombinant DNA techniques, or chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized. The language “substantially free of cellular material” includes preparations of LMP in which the protein is separated from cellular components of the cells in which it is naturally or recombinantly produced. In one embodiment, the language “substantially free of cellular material” includes preparations of LMP having less than about 30% (by dry weight) of non-LMP (also referred to herein as a “contaminating protein”), more preferably less than about 20% of non-LMP, still more preferably less than about 10% of non-LMP, and most preferably less than about 5% non-LMP. When the LMP or biologically active portion thereof is recombinantly produced, it is also preferably substantially free of culture medium, i.e., culture medium represents less than about 20%, more preferably less than about 10%, and most preferably less than about 5% of the volume of the protein preparation. The language “substantially free of chemical precursors or other chemicals” includes preparations of LMP in which the protein is separated from chemical precursors or other chemicals which are involved in the synthesis of the protein. In one embodiment, the language “substantially free of chemical precursors or other chemicals” includes preparations of LMP having less than about 30% (by dry weight) of chemical precursors or non-LMP chemicals, more preferably less than about 20% chemical precursors or non-LMP chemicals, still more preferably less than about 10% chemical precursors or non-LMP chemicals, and most preferably less than about 5% chemical precursors or non-LMP chemicals. In preferred embodiments, isolated proteins or biologically active portions thereof lack contaminating proteins from the same organism from which the LMP is derived. Typically, such proteins are produced by recombinant expression of, for example, a Physcomitrella patens LMP in other plants than Physcomitrella patens or microorganisms, algae or fungi.

An isolated LMP or a portion thereof of the invention can participate in the metabolism of compounds necessary for the production of storage compounds such as fatty acids, triacylglyceride lipids, starch and storage proteins in Physcomitrella patens, or of cellular membranes, or has one or more of the activities set forth in Table 3. In preferred embodiments, the protein or portion thereof comprises an amino acid sequence which is sufficiently homologous to an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42 such that the protein or portion thereof maintains the ability to participate in the metabolism of compounds necessary for the construction of cellular membranes in Physcomitrella patens, or in the transport of molecules across these membranes. The portion of the protein is preferably a biologically active portion as described herein. In another preferred embodiment, a LMP of the invention has an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleic acid shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, or SEQ ID NO:41.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the LMP has an amino acid sequence which is encoded by a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes, e.g., hybridizes under stringent conditions, to a LMP nucleotide sequence described herein. In still another preferred embodiment, the LMP has an amino acid sequence which is encoded by a nucleotide sequence that is at least about 50-60%, preferably at least about 60-70%, more preferably at least about 70-80%, 80-90%, 90-95%, and even more preferably at least about 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or more homologous to one of the amino acid sequences encoded by a LMP nucleic acid shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, or SEQ ID NO:41. The preferred LMPs of the present invention also preferably possess at least one of the LMP activities described herein. For example, a preferred LMP of the present invention includes an amino acid sequence encoded by a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes, e.g., hybridizes under stringent conditions, to a nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, or SEQ ID NO:41, and which can participate in the metabolism of compounds necessary for the construction of cellular membranes in Physcomitrella patens, or in the transport of molecules across these membranes, or which has one or more of the activities set forth in Table 3.

In other embodiments, the LMP homologue is substantially homologous to an LMP amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, or SEQ ID NO:42 and retains the functional activity of the LMP yet differs in amino acid sequence due to natural variation or mutagenesis, as described in detail above. Accordingly, in another embodiment, the LMP is a protein which comprises an amino acid sequence which is at least about 50-60%, preferably at least about 60-70%, and more preferably at least about 70-80, 80-90, 90-95%, and most preferably at least about 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or more homologous to an entire amino acid sequence and which has at least one of the LMP activities described herein. In another embodiment, the invention pertains to a full Physcomitrella patens protein which is substantially homologous to an LMP described herein.

Homologues of the LMP can be generated by mutagenesis, e.g., discrete point mutation or truncation of the LMP. As used herein, the term “homologue” refers to a variant form of the LMP which acts as an agonist or antagonist of the activity of the LMP. An agonist of the LMP can retain substantially the same, or a subset, of the biological activities of the LMP. An antagonist of the LMP can inhibit one or more of the activities of the naturally occurring form of the LMP, by, for example, competitively binding to a downstream or upstream member of the cell membrane component metabolic cascade which includes the LMP, or by binding to a LMP which mediates transport of compounds across such membranes, thereby preventing translocation from taking place.

In an alternative embodiment, homologues of the LMP can be identified by screening combinatorial libraries of mutants, e.g., truncation mutants, of the LMP for LMP agonist or antagonist activity. In one embodiment, a variegated library of LMP variants is generated by combinatorial mutagenesis at the nucleic acid level and is encoded by a variegated gene library. A variegated library of LMP variants can be produced by, for example, enzymatically ligating a mixture of synthetic oligonucleotides into gene sequences such that a degenerate set of potential LMP sequences is expressible as individual polypeptides, or alternatively, as a set of larger fusion proteins (e.g., for phage display) containing the set of LMP sequences therein. There are a variety of methods which can be used to produce libraries of potential LMP homologues from a degenerate oligonucleotide sequence. Chemical synthesis of a degenerate gene sequence can be performed in an automatic DNA synthesizer, and the synthetic gene then ligated into an appropriate expression vector. Use of a degenerate set of genes allows for the provision, in one mixture, of all of the sequences encoding the desired set of potential LMP sequences. Methods for synthesizing degenerate oligonucleotides are known in the art (see, e.g., Narang 1983, Tetrahedron 39: 3; Itakura et al. 1984, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 53: 323; Itakura et al. 1984, Science 198: 1056; Ike et al. 1983, Nucleic Acids Res. 11: 477).

In addition, libraries of fragments of the LMP coding sequences can be used to generate a variegated population of LMP fragments for screening and subsequent selection of homologues of a LMP. In one embodiment, a library of coding sequence fragments can be generated by treating a double stranded PCR fragment of a LMP coding sequence with a nuclease under conditions wherein nicking occurs only about once per molecule, denaturing the double stranded DNA, renaturing the DNA to form double stranded DNA which can include sense/antisense pairs from different nicked products, removing single stranded portions from reformed duplexes by treatment with S1 nuclease, and ligating the resulting fragment library into an expression vector. By this method, an expression library can be derived which encodes N-terminal, C-terminal and internal fragments of various sizes of the LMP.

Several techniques are known in the art for screening gene products of combinatorial libraries made by point mutations or truncation, and for screening cDNA libraries for gene products having a selected property. Such techniques are adaptable for rapid screening of the gene libraries generated by the combinatorial mutagenesis of LMP homologues. The most widely used techniques, which are amenable to high through-put analysis, for screening large gene libraries typically include cloning the gene library into replicable expression vectors, transforming appropriate cells with the resulting library of vectors, and expressing the combinatorial genes under conditions in which detection of a desired activity facilitates isolation of the vector encoding the gene whose product was detected. Recursive ensemble mutagenesis (REM), a new technique which enhances the frequency of functional mutants in the libraries, can be used in combination with the screening assays to identify LMP homologues (Arkin & Yourvan 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 7811-7815; Delgrave et ale 1993, Protein Engineering 6: 327-331).

In another embodiment, cell based assays can be exploited to analyze a variegated LMP library, using methods well known in the art.

The nucleic acid molecules, proteins, protein homologues, fusion proteins, primers, vectors, and host cells described herein can be used in one or more of the following methods: identification of Physcomitrella patens and related or other organisms; mapping of genomes of organisms related to Physcomitrella patens; identification and localization of Physcomitrella patens sequences of interest; evolutionary studies; determination of LMP regions required for function; modulation of a LMP activity; modulation of the metabolism of one or more cell functions; modulation of the transmembrane transport of one or more compounds; and modulation of seed storage compound accumulation.

The moss Physcomitrella patens represents one member of the mosses. It is related to other mosses such as Ceratodon purpureus which is capable to grow in the absence of light. Mosses like Ceratodon and Physcomitrella share a high degree of homology on the DNA sequence and polypeptide level allowing the use of heterologous screening of DNA molecules with probes evolving from other mosses or organisms, thus enabling the derivation of a consensus sequence suitable for heterologous screening or functional annotation and prediction of gene functions in third species. The ability to identify such functions can therefore have significant relevance, e.g., prediction of substrate specificity of enzymes. Further, these nucleic acid molecules may serve as reference points for the mapping of moss genomes, or of genomes of related organisms.

The LMP nucleic acid molecules of the invention have a variety of uses. First, they may be used to identify an organism as being Physcomitrella patens or a close or related relative thereof. Also, they may be used to identify the presence of Physcomitrella patens or a relative thereof in a mixed population of microorganisms. The invention provides the nucleic acid sequences of a number of Physcomitrella patens genes; by probing the extracted genomic DNA of a culture of a unique or mixed population of microorganisms under stringent conditions with a probe spanning a region of a Physcomitrella patens gene which is unique to this organism, one can ascertain whether this organism is present or a related gene is present regardless of the host.

Further, the nucleic acid and protein molecules of the invention may serve as markers for specific regions of the genome. This has utility not only in the mapping of the genome, but also for functional studies of Physcomitrella patens and related proteins. For example, to identify the region of the genome to which a particular Physcomitrella patens or related DNA-binding protein binds, a genome, such as that of Physcomitrella patens, could be digested, and the fragments incubated with the DNA-binding protein. Those which bind the protein may be additionally probed with the nucleic acid molecules of the invention, preferably with readily detectable labels; binding of such a nucleic acid molecule to the genome fragment enables the localization of the fragment to the genome map of Physcomitrella patens, and, when performed multiple times with different enzymes, facilitates a rapid determination of the nucleic acid sequence to which the protein binds. Further, the nucleic acid molecules of the invention may be sufficiently homologous to the sequences of related species such that these nucleic acid molecules may serve as markers for the construction of a genomic map in related mosses. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and other aspects of the invention and this disclosure related thereto also relates to other species of plants and are not restricted to Physcomitrella patents.

The LMP nucleic acid molecules of the invention are also useful for evolutionary and protein structural studies. The metabolic and transport processes in which the molecules of the invention participate are utilized by a wide variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; by comparing the sequences of the nucleic acid molecules of the present invention to those encoding similar enzymes from other organisms, the evolutionary relatedness of the organisms can be assessed. Similarly, such a comparison permits an assessment of which regions of the sequence are conserved and which are not, which may aid in determining those regions of the protein which are essential for the functioning of the enzyme. This type of determination is of value for protein engineering studies and may give an indication of what the protein can tolerate in terms of mutagenesis without losing function.

Manipulation of the LMP nucleic acid molecules of the invention may result in the production of LMPs having functional differences from the wild-type LMPs. These proteins may be improved in efficiency or activity, may be present in greater numbers in the cell than is usual, or may be decreased in efficiency or activity.

There are a number of mechanisms by which the alteration of a LMP of the invention may directly affect the accumulation of seed storage compounds. In the case of plants expressing LMPs increased transport can lead to altered accumulation of compounds and/or solute partitioning within the plant tissue and organs. An example is provided by Mitsukawa et al. (1997, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 7098-7102), where overexpression of an Arabidopsis high-affinity phosphate transporter gene in tobacco cultured cells enhanced cell growth under phosphate-limited conditions. Phosphate availability also affects significantly the production of sugars and metabolic intermediates (Hurry et al. 2000, Plant J. 24: 383-396) and the lipid composition in leaves and roots (Härtel et al. 2000, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 10649-10654). Likewise, the activity of the plant ACCase has been demonstrated to be regulated by phosphorylation (Savage & Ohlrogge 1999, Plant J. 18: 521-527). Moreover, the presence of lipid kinase activities in chloroplast envelope membranes suggests that signal transduction pathways and/or membrane protein regulation occur in envelopes (see, e.g., Müller et al. 2000, J. Biol. Chem. 275: 19475-19481 and literature cited therein). The ABI1 and ABI2 genes encode two protein serine/threonine phosphatases 2C, which are regulators in abscisic acid signaling pathway, and thereby in early and late seed development (e.g. Merlot et al. 2001, Plant J. 25: 295-303). For more examples see also the section entitled ‘background of the invention’.

The effect of the genetic modification in plants on a desired seed storage compound (such as sugars, lipids and fatty acids) can be assessed by growing the modified plant under suitable conditions and analyzing the seeds or any other plant organ for increased production of the desired product (i.e., a lipid or a fatty acid). Such analysis techniques are well known to one skilled in the art, and include spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography, staining methods of various kinds, enzymatic and microbiological methods, and analytical chromatography such as high performance liquid chromatography (see, for example, Ullman 1985, Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, vol. A2, pp. 89-90 and 443-613, VCH: Weinheim; Fallon, A. et al. 1987, Applications of HPLC in Biochemistry in: Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vol. 17; Rehm et al. 1993 Product recovery and purification, Biotechnology, vol. 3, Chapter III, pp. 469-714, VCH: Weinheim; Belter, P. A. et al., 1988 Bioseparations: downstream processing for biotechnology, John Wiley & Sons; Kennedy J. F. & Cabral J. M. S. 1992, Recovery processes for biological materials, John Wiley and Sons; Shaeiwitz J. A. & Henry J. D. 1988, Biochemical separations in: Ulmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Separation and purification techniques in biotechnology, vol. B3, Chapter 11, pp. 1-27, VCH: Weinheim; and Dechow F. J. 1989).

Besides the above-mentioned methods, plant lipids can be extracted from plant material as described by Cahoon et al. (1999, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96, 22: 12935-12940) and Browse et al. (1986, Anal. Biochemistry 442: 141-145). Qualitative and quantitative lipid or fatty acid analysis is described in Christie, William W., Advances in Lipid Methodology. Ayr/Scotland: Oily Press.—(Oily Press Lipid Library; 2); Christie, William W., Gas Chromatography and Lipids. A Practical Guide—Ayr, Scotland: Oily Press, 1989 Repr. 1992.—IX,307 S.—(Oily Press Lipid Library; 1); “Progress in Lipid Research”, Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1 (1952)-16 (1977) Progress in the Chemistry of Fats and Other Lipids CODEN.

Determination of the presence of fatty acid products can be obtained by the analysis of transgenic plants following standard analytical procedures: GC, CC-MS or TLC as variously described by Christie and references therein (1997 in: Advances on Lipid Methodology 4th ed.: Christie, Oily Press, Dundee, pp. 119-169; 1998). Detailed methods are described for leaves by Demieux et al (1990, Theor. Appt. Genet. 80: 234-240) and for seeds by Focks & Benning (1998, Plant Physiol. 118: 91-101).

Positional analysis of the fatty acid composition at the C-1, C-2 or C-3 positions of the glycerol backbone can be determined by lipase digestion (see, e.g., Siebertz & Heinz 1977, Z. Naturforsch. 32c: 193-205, and Christie 1987, Lipid Analysis 2^(nd) Edition, Pergamon Press, Exeter, ISBN 0-08-023791-6).

A typical way to gather information of the influence of increased or decreased protein activities on lipid and sugar biosynthetic pathways is, for example, via analyzing the carbon fluxes by labeling studies with leaves or seeds using ¹⁴C-acetate or ¹⁴C-pyruvate (see, e.g. Focks & Benning 1998, Plant Physiol. 118: 91-101; Eccleston & Ohlrogge 1998, Plant Cell 10: 613-621). The distribution of carbon-14 into lipids and aqueous soluble components can be determined by liquid scintillation counting after the respective separation (for example on TLC plates) including standards like ¹⁴C-sucrose and ¹⁴C-malate (Eccleston & Ohlrogge 1998, Plant Cell 10: 613-621).

Material to be analyzed can be disintegrated via sonification, glass milling, liquid nitrogen and grinding or via other applicable methods. The material has to be centrifuged after disintegration. The sediment is re-suspended in distilled water, heated for 10 minutes at 100° C., cooled on ice and centrifuged again followed by extraction in 0.5 M sulfuric acid in methanol containing 2% dimethoxypropane for 1 hour at 90° C. leading to hydrolyzed oil and lipid compounds resulting in transmethylated lipids. These fat acid methyl esters are extracted in petrolether and finally subjected to GC analysis using a capillary column (Chrompack, WCOT Fused Silica, CP-Wax-52 CB, 25 m, 0.32 mm) at a temperature gradient between 170° C. and 240° C. for 20 minutes and 5 min. at 240° C. The identity of resulting fatty acid methylesters is defined by the use of standards available form commercial sources (i.e., Sigma).

In case of fatty acids where standards are not available, molecule identity can be shown via derivatization and subsequent CC-MS analysis. For example, the localization of triple bond fatty acids is shown via GC-MS after derivatization via 4,4-Dimethoxy-oxazolin-Derivaten (Christie, Oily Press, Dundee, 1998).

A common standard method for analyzing sugars, especially starch, is published by Stitt et al. (1989, “Determination of metabolite levels in specific cells and subcellular compartments of plant leaves” Methods Enzymol. 174: 518-552; for other methods see also Hartel et al. 1998, Plant Physiol. Biochem. 36: 407-417 and Focks & Benning 1998, Plant Physiol. 118: 91-101).

The present invention also provides antibodies which specifically binds to a LMP-polypeptide, or a portion thereof as encoded by a nucleic acid disclosed herein or as described herein. Antibodies can be made by many well-known methods (see, e.g. Harlow and Lane, “Antibodies; A Laboratory Manual” Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1988). Briefly, purified antigen can be injected into an animal in an amount and in intervals sufficient to elicit an immune response. Antibodies can either be purified directly, or spleen cells can be obtained from the animal. The cells can then fused with an immortal cell line and screened for antibody secretion. The antibodies can be used to screen nucleic acid clone libraries for cells secreting the antigen. Those positive clones can then be sequenced (see, for example, Kelly et al. 1992, Bio/Technology 10: 163-167; Bebbington et al., 1992, Bio/Technology 10:169-175).

The phrase “selectively binds” with the polypeptide refers to a binding reaction which is determinative of the presence of the protein in a heterogeneous population of proteins and other biologics. Thus, under designated immunoassay conditions, the specified antibodies bound to a particular protein do not bind in a significant amount to other proteins present in the sample. Selective binding to an antibody under such conditions may require an antibody that is selected for its specificity for a particular protein. A variety of immunoassay formats may be used to select antibodies selectively bind with a particular protein. For example, solid-phase ELISA immunoassays are routinely used to select antibodies selectively immunoreactive with a protein. See Harlow and Lane “Antibodies, A Laboratory Manual” Cold Spring Harbor Publications, New York (1988), for a description of immunoassay formats and conditions that could be used to determine selective binding.

In some instances, it is desirable to prepare monoclonal antibodies from various hosts. A description of techniques for preparing such monoclonal antibodies may be found in Stites et al., editors, “Basic and Clinical Immunology,” (Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, Calif., Fourth Edition) and references cited therein, and in Harlow and Lane (“Antibodies, A Laboratory Manual” Cold Spring Harbor Publications, New York, 1988).

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and Examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the claims included herein.

EXAMPLES Example 1

General Processes

a) General Cloning Processes:

Cloning processes such as, for example, restriction cleavages, agarose gel electrophoresis, purification of DNA fragments, transfer of nucleic acids to nitrocellulose and nylon membranes, linkage of DNA fragments, transformation of Escherichia coli and yeast cells, growth of bacteria and sequence analysis of recombinant DNA were carried out as described in Sambrook et al. (1989, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: ISBN 0-87969-309-6) or Kaiser, Michaelis and Mitchell (1994, Methods in Yeast Genetics”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: ISBN 0-87969-451-3).

b) Chemicals:

The chemicals used were obtained, if not mentioned otherwise in the text, in p.a. quality from the companies Fluka eu-Ulm), Merck (Darmstadt), Roth (Karlsruhe), Serva (Heidelberg) and Sigma (Deisenhofen). Solutions were prepared using purified, pyrogen-free water, designated as H₂O in the following text, from a Milli-Q water system water purification plant (Millipore, Eschborn). Restriction endonucleases, DNA-modifying enzymes and molecular biology kits were obtained from the companies AGS (Heidelberg), Amersham (Braunschweig), Biometra (Gottingen), Boehringer (Mannheim), Genomed (Bad Oeynnhausen), New England Biolabs (Schwalbach/Taunus), Novagen (Madison, Wis., USA), Perkin-Elmer (Weiterstadt), Pharmacia (Freiburg), Qiagen (Hilden) and Stratagene (Amsterdam, Netherlands). They were used, if not mentioned otherwise, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

c) Plant Material:

For this study, moss of the species Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) B.S.G. from the collection of the genetic studies section of the University of Hamburg were used. They originate from the strain 16/14 collected by H.L.K. Whitehouse in Gransden Wood, Huntingdonshire (England), which was subcultured from a spore by Engel (1968, Am. J. Bot. 55: 438-446). Proliferation of the plants was carried out by means of spores and by means of regeneration of the gametophytes. The protonema developed from the haploid spore as a chloroplast-rich chloronema and chloroplast-low caulonema, on which buds formed after approximately 12 days. These grew to give gametophores bearing antheridia and archegonia. After fertilization, the diploid sporophyte with a short seta and the spore capsule resulted, in which the meiospores mature.

d) Cultivation Conditions:

Culturing was carried out in a climatic chamber at an air temperature of 25° C. and light intensity of 55 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ (white light; Philips TL 65W/25 fluorescent tube) and a light/dark change of 16/8 hours. The moss was either modified in liquid culture using Knop medium according to Reski & Abel (1985, Planta 165: 354-358) or cultured on Knop solid medium using 1% oxoid agar (Unipath, Basingstoke, England). The protonemas used for RNA and DNA isolation were cultured in aerated liquid cultures. The protonemas were comminuted every 9 days and transferred to fresh culture medium.

Example 2

Total DNA Isolation from Plants

The details for the isolation of total DNA relate to the working up of one gram fresh weight of plant material.

-   CTAB buffer: 2% (w/v) N-cethyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide     (CTAB); 100 mM Tris HCl pH 8.0; 1.4 M NaCl; 20 mM EDTA. -   N-Laurylsarcosine buffer: 10% (w/v) N-laurylsarcosine; 100 mM Tris     HCl pH 8.0; 20 mM EDTA.

The plant material was triturated under liquid nitrogen in a mortar to give a fine powder and transferred to 2 ml Eppendorf vessels. The frozen plant material was then covered with a layer of 1 ml of decomposition buffer (1 ml CTAB buffer, 100 μl of N-laurylsarcosine buffer, 20 μl of β-mercaptoethanol and 10 μl of proteinase K solution, 10 mg/ml) and incubated at 60° C. for one hour with continuous shaking. The homogenate obtained was distributed into two Eppendorf vessels (2 ml) and extracted twice by shaking with the same volume of chloroform/isoamyl alcohol (24:1). For phase separation, centrifugation was carried out at 8000 g and room temperature for 15 minutes in each case. The DNA was then precipitated at −70° C. for 30 minutes using ice-cold isopropanol. The precipitated DNA was sedimented at 4° C. and 10,000 g for 30 minutes and resuspended in 180 μl of TE buffer (Sambrook et al. 1989, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: ISBN 0-87969-309-6). For further purification, the DNA was treated with NaCl (1.2 M final concentration) and precipitated again at −70° C. for 30 minutes using twice the volume of absolute ethanol. After a washing step with 70% ethanol, the DNA was dried and subsequently taken up in 50 μl of H₂O+RNAse (50 mg/ml final concentration). The DNA was dissolved overnight at 4° C. and the RNAse digestion was subsequently carried out at 37° C. for 1 hour. Storage of the DNA took place at 4° C.

Example 3

Isolation of Total RNA and Poly-(A)+ RNA from Plants

For the investigation of transcripts, both total RNA and poly-(A)⁺ RNA were isolated. The total RNA was obtained from wild-type 9-d-old protonemata following the GTC-method (Reski et al. 1994, Mol. Gen. Genet. 244: 352-359). Poly-(A)+ RNA was isolated using Dyna Beads^(R) (Dynal, Oslo, Norway) following the instructions of the manufacturer's protocol. After determination of the concentration of the RNA or of the poly(A)+ RNA, the RNA was precipitated by addition of 1/10 volumes of 3 M sodium acetate pH 4.6 and 2 volumes of ethanol and stored at −70° C.

Example 4

cDNA Library Construction

For cDNA library construction first strand synthesis was achieved using Murine Leukemia Virus reverse transcriptase (Roche, Mannheim, Germany) and oligo-d(T)-primers, second strand synthesis by incubation with DNA polymerase I, Klenow enzyme and RNAseH digestion at 12° C. (2 hours), 16° C. (1 hour) and 22° C. (1 hour). The reaction was stopped by incubation at 65° C. (10 minutes) and subsequently transferred to ice. Double stranded DNA molecules were blunted by T4-DNA-polymerase (Roche, Mannheim) at 37° C. (30 minutes). Nucleotides were removed by phenol/chloroform extraction and Sephadex G50 spin columns. EcoRI adapters (Pharmacia, Freiburg, Germany) were ligated to the cDNA ends by T4-DNA-ligase (Roche, 12° C., overnight) and phosphorylated by incubation with polynucleotide kinase (Roche, 37° C., 30 minutes). This mixture was subjected to separation on a low melting agarose gel. DNA molecules larger than 300 basepairs were eluted from the gel, phenol extracted, concentrated on Elutip-D-columns (Schleicher and Schuell, Dassel, Germany) and were ligated to vector arms and packed into lambda ZAPS phages or lambda ZAP-Express phages using the Gigapack Gold Kit (Stratagene, Amsterdam, Netherlands) using material and following the instructions of the manufacturer.

Example 5

DNA Sequencing and Computational Functional Analysis

cDNA libraries as described in Example 4 were used for DNA sequencing according to standard methods, in particular by the chain termination method using the ABI PRISM Big Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction Kit (Perkin-Elmer, Weiterstadt, Germany). Random Sequencing was carried out subsequent to preparative plasmid recovery from cDNA libraries via in vivo mass excision, retransformation, and subsequent plating of DH10B on agar plates (material and protocol details from Stratagene, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Plasmid DNA was prepared from overnight grown E. coli cultures grown in Luria-Broth medium containing ampicillin (see Sambrook et al. (1989, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: ISBN 0-87969-309-6) on a Qiagene DNA preparation robot (Qiagen, Hilden) according to the manufacturer's protocols. Sequencing primers with the following nucleotide sequences were used:

5′-CAGGAAACAGCTATGACC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:43) 5′-CTAAAGGGAACAAAAGCTG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:44) 5′-TGTAAAACGACGGCCAGT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:45)

Sequences were processed and annotated using the software package EST-MAX commercially provided by Bio-Max (Munich, Germany). The program incorporates practically all bioinformatics methods important for functional and structural characterization of protein sequences. For reference see the website pedant.mips.biochem.mpg.de.

The most important algorithms incorporated in EST-MAX are: FASTA: Very sensitive protein sequence database searches with estimates of statistical significance (Pearson W. R. 1990, Rapid and sensitive sequence comparison with FASTP and FASTA. Methods Enzymol. 183: 63-98). BLAST: Very sensitive protein sequence database searches with estimates of statistical significance (Altschul S. F., Gish W., Miller W., Myers E. W. and Lipman D. J. Basic local alignment search tool. J. Mol. Biol. 215: 403-410). PREDATOR: High-accuracy secondary structure prediction from single and multiple sequences. (Frishman & Argos 1997, 75% accuracy in protein secondary structure prediction. Proteins 27: 329-335). CLUSTALW: Multiple sequence alignment (Thompson, J. D., Higgins, D. G. and Gibson, T. J. 1994, CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, positions-specific gap penalties and weight matrix choice, Nucleic Acids Res. 22: 4673-4680). TMAP: Transmembrane region prediction from multiply aligned sequences (Persson B. & Argos P. 1994, Prediction of transmembrane segments in proteins utilizing multiple sequence alignments, J. Mol. Biol. 237: 182-192). ALOM2: Transmembrane region prediction from single sequences (Klein P., Kanehisa M., and DeLisi C. 1984, Prediction of protein function from sequence properties: A discriminant analysis of a database. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 787: 221-226. Version 2 by Dr. K. Nakai). PROSEARCH: Detection of PROSITE protein sequence patterns. Kolakowski L. F. Jr., Leunissen J. A. M. and Smith J. E. 1992, ProSearch: fast searching of protein sequences with regular expression patterns related to protein structure and function. Biotechniques 13: 919-921). BLIMPS: Similarity searches against a database of ungapped blocks (Wallace & Henikoff 1992, PATMAT: A searching and extraction program for sequence, pattern and block queries and databases, CABIOS 8: 249-254. Written by Bill Alford).

Example 6

Cloning of Full-Length cDNAs and Binary Plasmids for Plant Transformation

RACE-PCR to Determine Full-Length Sequences

Full-length sequences of the Physcomitrella patens partial cDNAs (ESTs) that were identified in the Physcomitrella patens EST sequencing program using the annotation program EST-Max were isolated by RACE PCR using the SMART RACE cDNA amplification kit from Clontech allowing both 5′- and 3′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The isolation of cDNAs and the RACE PCR protocol used were based on the manufacturer's conditions. The RACE product fragments were extracted from agarose gels with a QIAquick® Gel Extraction Kit (Qiagen) and ligated into the TOPO® pCR 2.1 vector (Invitrogen) following manufacturer's instructions. Recombinant vectors were transformed into TOP10 cells (Invitrogen) using standard conditions (Sambrook et al. 1989). Transformed cells are grown overnight at 37° C. on LB agar containing 50 μg/ml kanamycin and spread with 40 μl of a 40 mg/ml stock solution of X-gal in dimethylformamide for blue-white selection. Single white colonies are selected and used to inoculate 3 ml of liquid LB containing 50 μg/ml kanamycin and grown overnight at 37° C. Plasmid DNA was extracted using the QIAprep® Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen) following manufacturer's instructions. Subsequent analyses of clones and restriction mapping was performed according to standard molecular biology techniques (Sambrook et al. 1989). The sequences obtained from the RACE reactions were compiled to give the nucleotide sequences for the LMP genes (SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37 and 40).

RT-PCR and Cloning of Physcomitrella LMP Genes

Full-length LMP cDNAs were isolated by RT-PCR from Physcomitrella patents RNA. The synthesis of the first strand cDNA was achieved using AMV Reverse Transcriptase (Roche, Mannheim, Germany). The resulting single-stranded cDNA was amplified via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) utilizing two gene-specific primers. The conditions for the reaction were standard conditions with Expand High Fidelity PCR system (Roche). The parameters for the reaction were: five minutes at 94° C. followed by five cycles of 40 seconds at 94° C., 40 seconds at 50° C. and 1.5 minutes at 72° C. This was followed by thirty cycles of 40 seconds at 94° C., 40 seconds at 65° C. and 1.5 minutes at 72° C. The fragments generated under these RT-PCR conditions were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis to make sure that PCR products of the expected length had been obtained.

Full-length LMP cDNA were isolated by using synthetic oligonucleotide primers (MWG-Biotech) designed based on the LMP gene specific DNA sequence that was determined by EST sequencing and by sequencing of RACE PCR products. All 5′ PCR primers (“forward primer”, F) contained an AscI restriction site 5′ upstream of the ATG start codon. All 3′ PCR primers (“reverse primers”, R) contained a Pact restriction site 3′ downstream of the stop codon. The restriction sites were added so that the RT-PCR amplification products could be cloned into the AscI and Pact restriction sites located in the multiple cloning site of the binary vector pBPS-GB1. The first 2 nucleotides are used as spacers so the restriction enzymes cut properly. The following “forward” (F) and “reverse” (R) primers were used to amplify the full-length Physcomitrella cDNAs by RT-PCR using RNA from Physcomitrella as original template:

For amplification of SEQ ID NO:1 pp29F (SEQ ID NO:46) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCCGATGGTGCGTTCGAGATCG-3′) pp29R (SEQ ID NO:47) (5′-GCTTAATTAAGCGTTAACGAGCTTTCTCGCAGTGCC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:4 pp07F (SEQ ID NO:48) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCTGGGTTTGGGTAGTTGCTTGACGAC-3′) pp07R (SEQ ID NO:49) (5′-GCTTAATTAAGGTTCAAGGACCGCCTGCCTATAC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:7 pp27F (SEQ ID NO:50) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCGAGCTGCTGTCAGTTCGTCAACGG-3′) pp27R (SEQ ID NO:51) (5′-ATTTAATTAAGTTGACCAGGACGACAGCAGTAGC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:10 pp63F (SEQ ID NO:52) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCCGCAGCATGTGACTCGTCACCTG-3′) pp63R (SEQ ID NO:53) (3′-CGTTAATTAAAGCTACTACTTGCTCTAGGAAGCTG-5′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:13 pp31F (SEQ ID NO:54) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCAGCACGAGGGCAAGAGGG-3′) pp31R (SEQ ID NO:55) (5′-ATTTAATTAAGTTGACGTTGGATTGCACATGGTTG-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:16 pp37F (SEQ ID NO:56) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCGGCCTTCAAGCACTCTCTGCAT-3′) pp37R (SEQ ID NO:57) (5′-ATTTAATTAATCTCATGGACGACCCACC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:19 pp11F (SEQ ID NO:58) (5′-TAGGCGCGCCGTTGCGTTCTCTGCTTCCTTCGA-3′) pp11R (SEQ ID NO:59) (5′-GCTTAATTAACTGTATCCAAACCTCTGCCGGTGG-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:22 pp58F (SEQ ID NO:60) (5′-ATGGCGGGCCGGCGAAGGGGAGGTGTCGG-3′) pp58R (SEQ ID NO:61) (5′-GGTTAATTAAGAATTACTGGACCGGAGAAAACG-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:25 pp48F (SEQ ID NO:62) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCCTGAGTGAGGAACTGGGAGCGATGG-3′) pp48R (SEQ ID NO:63) (5′-GCTTAATTAACCCTTGCAGTACTCGTTTGCCTTTC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:28 pp74F (SEQ ID NO:64) (5′-TAGGCGCCCCAGTGGGTGGTTGGACTGTAAGGA-3′) pp74R (SEQ ID NO:65) (5′-GCTTAATTAACTTCGTCTTGGACAGGTAGAGGTTAC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:31 pp08F (SEQ ID NO:66) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCGCCTCTCCTGTGGCCTCAAGC-3′) pp08R (SEQ ID NO:67) (5′-ATTTAATTAACGTCGTCTGCTGCACAATTCCCTCCC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:34 pp84F (SEQ ID NO:68) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCGGCTAGTCGCATTCACAGAGCAGCT-3′) pp84R (SEQ ID NO:69) (5′-CGTTAATTAAGCCCTTGCGATATCCAGCGTTTGAC-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:37 pp100F (SEQ ID NO:70) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCGATAATCGTTGCGTAGAGGTGGCC-3′) pp100R (SEQ ID NO:71) (5′-GCTTAATTAAGACTTAAAAATCGTTGGCCCTCTTTCG-3′) For amplification of SEQ ID NO:40 pp12F (SEQ ID NO:72) (5′-ATGGCGCGCCGCGAAAGAACCGATTGGGATTAGG-3′) pp12R (SEQ ID NO:73) (5′-ATTTAATTAACGAACATAGACCGTAAGTCGTGAGCC-3′)

For plant transformation, binary vectors such as pBinAR can be used (Höfgen & Willmitzer 1990, Plant Sci. 66: 221-230). Plant binary vectors encoding LMP genes were constructed with the aim to achieve the overexpression of functionally active proteins in transgenic plants. All LMP gene candidates were cloned into the plant binary vector pBPS-GB1 vector. The binary vector contains a selectable marker gene driven under the control of the AtAct2-I promoter (Ann Y-Q et al. 1996, Plant Journal 10:107-121) and a USP (unknown seed protein, Bäumlein et al., Mol Gen Genet 225: 459-467, 1991) seed-specific promoter driving the candidate LMP gene with the NOSpA terminator. Full-length LMP cDNA were cloned into AscI and PacI restriction sites in the multiple cloning site of pBPS-GB1 in sense orientation behind the USP seed-specific promoter. The recombinant binary vectors (based on pBPS-GB1) containing the genes of interest were transformed into E. coli Top10 cells (Invitrogen) using standard conditions. Transformed cells were selected for on LB agar containing 50 μg/ml kanamycin grown overnight at 37° C. Plasmid DNA was extracted using the QIAprep Spin Miniprep Kit (Qiagen) following manufacturer's instructions. Analysis of subsequent clones and restriction mapping was performed according to standard molecular biology techniques (Sambrook et al. 1989, Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual. 2^(nd) Edition. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). The nucleotide sequence of the inserted LMP genes was verified by “2+1” sequencing (the insert DNA was sequence by determining the nucleotide sequence of one DNA stand with two independent sequence reactions and the complementary DNA strand with on sequencing reaction according to the Bermuda convention). The full length sequences are shown as SEQ ID NOs: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37 and 40.

TABLE 3 Putative LMP Functions Functional ORF SEQ ID categories Function Sequence code position NO: Transcription Putative DNA-binding s_pp001031077f 339-2493 1 factor protein - Arabidopsis thaliana Transcription Probable transcription s_pp001117032r 133-1065 4 factor initiation factor TFIIB - soybean Transcription BZIP DNA-binding c_pp001113065r 721-2043 7 factor protein HBF-1 - soybean Protein kinase Probable kasein kinase c_pp004047195r  14-1432 10 (EC 2.7.1) - Arabidopsis Transcription Homeodomain leucine c_pp001058012r 134-1150 13 factor zipper protein - Oryza sativa Protein kinase putative protein kinase - s_pp001009079f 132-1455 16 Arabidopsis thaliana (thale) Protein kinase Phosphoenolpyruvate c_pp004076330r 136-2187 19 carboxykinase-like protein Signal Phosphoinositide-specific c_pp004040301r  13-1956 22 Transduction phospholipase C - Nicotiana Signal Ethylene receptor homolog - s_pp002024092r  22-2262 25 Transduction Pelargonium x hortorum Protein kinase Probable cdc2-like protein s_pp001031042f  86-1015 28 kinase cdc2MsF - alfalfa Signal Product: “putative RNA c_pp032010072r 278-1588 31 Transduction binding protein”; Transcription Transcription factor SAR s_pp001068093r  65-1840 34 factor DNA binding protein Signal Lipid transfer protein s_pp013010011r 173-1264 37 Transduction Kinase Acetylglutamate kinase c_pp004096088r  9-1217 40 (EC 2.7.2.8) - Synechocystis

TABLE 4 Grouping of LMPs based on Functional protein domains Functional SEQ ID Domain category NO: Functional domain position Trans- 3 Helicase domain 683-759 cription 3 SNF2 domain 270-535 factors 6 Transcription factor 2 domain 110-178 6 Transcription factor 2 domain 211-275 15 Homeobox domain  92-144 9 bZIP domain 255-319 36 Nop domain 251-395 Kinases 12 pkinase domain  9-210 21 PEPCK domain 159-613 18 Galactokinase 24-35 18 Shikimate kinase 141-154 30 pkinase domain  11-282 42 Kinase domain  57-215 Signal 33 Retinoic acid receptor signature 162-181 Trans- 33 EDG1 orphan receptor signature 56-76 duction 27 Response regulatory domain 615-729 27 H-ATPase domain 454-571 39 Protein sensory transduction domain 189-203 39 Alpha-1B adrenergic receptor signature 312-329 24 PI-Phospholipase C—X domain 121-257 24 PI-Phospholipase C—Y domain 407-485

Example 7

Agrobacterium Mediated Plant Transformation

Agrobacterium mediated plant transformation with binary vectors encoding the LMP nucleic acids described herein was performed using standard transformation and regeneration techniques (Gelvin, Stanton B. & Schilperoort R. A, Plant Molecular Biology Manual, 2nd ed. Kluwer Academic Publ., Dordrecht 1995 in Sect., Ringbuc Zentrale Signatur: BT11-P; Glick, Bernard R. and Thompson, John E. Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, S. 360, CRC Press, Boca Raton 1993).

The Agrobacterium mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana was performed using the GV3 (pMP90) (Koncz & Schell, 1986, Mol. Gen. Genet. 204: 383-396) Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain. Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Col-2 was grown and transformed according to standard conditions (Bechtold 1993, Acad. Sci. Paris. 316: 1194-1199; Bent et al. 1994, Science 265: 1856-1860). Kanamycin was used as antibiotic selection marker for Agrobacterium transformation. The presence and correct orientation of the LMP-encoding binary vectors in Agrobacterium cultures was verified by PCR using the LMP gene-specific primers described in Example 6. For the plant transformation flowering Arabidopsis plants were dipped into the recombinant Agrobacterium cultures and allowed to go to seed. Transgenic Arabidopsis T1 plants were identified by growing the seeds on Petri plates containing the selection agent appropriate for the selection marker present on the T-DNA. Surviving healthy seedlings were transferred to soil and grown in a growth chamber under controlled conditions. T2 seeds were harvested from these T1 plants. The transgenic lines were propagated through successive generations and T3 and T4 seeds were obtained. The segregation ratio of the presence or absence of the T-DNA was monitored in order to determine whether the lines contained single-locus or multi-locus insertions and whether the lines were homozygous or heterozygous for the T-DNA insertion. T2, T3 and T4 seeds were analyzed for seed oil content (see also example 14).

Agrobacterium mediated plant transformation is also applicable to Brassica and other crops. In particular, seeds of canola are surface sterilized with 70% ethanol for 4 minutes at room temperature with continuous shaking, followed by 20% (v/v) Clorox supplemented with 0.05% (v/v) Tween for 20 minutes, at room temperature with continuous shaking. Then, the seeds are rinsed 4 times with distilled water and placed on moistened sterile filter paper in a Petri dish at room temperature for 18 hours. The seed coats are removed and the seeds are air dried overnight in a half-open sterile Petri dish. During this period, the seeds lose approximately 85% of their water content. The seeds are then stored at room temperature in a sealed Petri dish until further use.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens culture is prepared from a single colony in LB solid medium plus appropriate antibiotics (e.g. 100 mg/l streptomycin, 50 mg/l kanamycin) followed by growth of the single colony in liquid LB medium to an optical density at 600 nm of 0.8. Then, the bacteria culture is pelleted at 7000 rpm for 7 minutes at room temperature, and re-suspended in MS (Murashige & Skoog 1962, Physiol. Plant. 15: 473-497) medium supplemented with 100 μM acetosyringone. Bacteria cultures are incubated in this pre-induction medium for 2 hours at room temperature before use. The axis of soybean zygotic seed embryos at approximately 44% moisture content are imbibed for 2 hours at room temperature with the pre-induced Agrobacterium suspension culture. (The imbibition of dry embryos with a culture of Agrobacterium is also applicable to maize embryo axes). The embryos are removed from the imbibition culture and are transferred to Petri dishes containing solid MS medium supplemented with 2% sucrose and incubated for 2 days, in the dark at room temperature. Alternatively, the embryos are placed on top of moistened (liquid MS medium) sterile filter paper in a Petri dish and incubated under the same conditions described above. After this period, the embryos are transferred to either solid or liquid MS medium supplemented with 500 mg/l carbenicillin or 300 mg/l cefotaxime to kill the agrobacteria. The liquid medium is used to moisten the sterile filter paper. The embryos are incubated during 4 weeks at 25° C., under 440 μmol m⁻² sec⁻¹ and 12 hours photoperiod. Once the seedlings have produced roots, they are transferred to sterile metromix soil. The medium of the in vitro plants is washed off before transferring the plants to soil. The plants are kept under a plastic cover for 1 week to favor the acclimatization process. Then the plants are transferred to a growth room where they are incubated at 25° C., under 440 mmol m⁻² s⁻¹ light intensity and 12 h photoperiod for about 80 days.

Samples of the primary transgenic plants (T₀) are analyzed by PCR to confirm the presence of T-DNA. These results are confirmed by Southern hybridization wherein DNA is electrophoresed on a 1% agarose gel and transferred to a positively charged nylon membrane (Roche Diagnostics). The PCR DIG Probe Synthesis Kit (Roche Diagnostics) is used to prepare a digoxigenin-labeled probe by PCR, and used as recommended by the manufacturer.

Transformation of soybean can be performed using for example a technique described in EP 424 047, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,783 (Pioneer Hi-Bred International) or in EP 0397 687, U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,543 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,770 (University Toledo). Soybean seeds are surface sterilized with 70% ethanol for 4 minutes at room temperature with continuous shaking, followed by 20% (v/v) Clorox supplemented with 0.05% (v/v) Tween for 20 minutes with continuous shaking. Then the seeds are rinsed 4 times with distilled water and placed on moistened sterile filter paper in a Petri dish at room temperature for 6 to 39 hours. The seed coats are peeled oft and cotyledons are detached from the embryo axis. The embryo axis is examined to make sure that the meristematic region is not damaged. The excised embryo axes are collected in a half-open sterile Petri dish and air-dried to a moisture content less than 20% (fresh weight) in a sealed Petri dish until further use.

Example 8

Analysis of the Impact of Recombinant LMPs on the Production of a Desired Seed Storage Compound: Fatty Acid Production

Total fatty acid of seeds of control and transgenic plants was measured with bulked seeds (usually 5 mg seed weight) of a single plant. Three different types of controls have been used: Col-2 or Col-0 (Columbia-2 or Columbia-0, the Arabidopsis ecotypes LMP gene of interest have been transformed in), C-24 (an Arabidopsis ecotype found to accumulate high amounts of total fatty acids in seeds) and BPS empty (without LMP gene of interest) binary vector construct. The controls indicated in the tables below have been grown side by side with the transgenic lines. Differences in the total values of the controls are explained either by differences in the growth conditions, which were found to be very sensitive to small variations in the plant cultivation, or by differences in the standards added to quantify the fatty acid content. Because of the seed bulking all values obtained with T2 seeds and in part also with T3 seeds are the result of a mixture of homozygous (for the gene of interest) and heterozygous events, implying that these data underestimate the LMP gene effect.

TABLE 5 Determination of the T4 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of s_pp001031077f (containing SEQ ID NO: 1). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of four independent transgenic events. (Average mean values are shown ± standard deviation, number of individual measurements per plant line: 15-18, Col-2 is the Arabidopsis ecotype the LMP gene has been transformed in, C-24 is a high-oil Arabidopsis ecotype used as another control) g total fatty acids/ Genotype g seed weight C-42 wild-type seeds 0.368 ± 0.026 Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.343 ± 0.028 pp29-19-1 transgenic seeds 0.386 ± 0.027 pp29-19-3 transgenic seeds 0.377 ± 0.032 pp29-20-12 transgenic seeds 0.371 ± 0.017 pp29-20-7 transgenic seeds 0.366 ± 0.030 pp29-2-4 transgenic seeds 0.384 ± 0.037 pp29-4-4 transgenic seeds 0.364 ± 0.021 pp29-4-5 transgenic seeds 0.362 ± 0.022

TABLE 6 Determination of the T4 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of s_pp001117032r (containing SEQ ID NO: 4) Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 10-18 individual plants per line. g total fatty acids/ Genotype g seed weiht C-42 wild-type seeds 0.368 ± 0.026 Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.343 ± 0.028 pp07-4-2 transgenic seeds 0.366 ± 0.042 pp07-6-3 transgenic seeds 0.370 ± 0.021

TABLE 7 Determination of the T3 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp001113065r (containing SEQ ID NO: 7). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 11-18 individual plants per line. g total fatty acids/ Genotype g seed weight C-24 wild-type seeds 0.490 ± 0.026 Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.444 ± 0.045 pp27-14 transgenic seeds 0.484 ± 0.041 pp27-2 transgenic seeds 0.474 ± 0.036

TABLE 8 Determination of the T3 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp004047195r (containing SEQ ID NO: 10). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 12-19 individual plants per line. g total fatty acids/ Genotype g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.290 ± 0.026 BPS empty vector transgenic seeds 0.294 ± 0.020 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.311 ± 0.016 pp63-1 transgenic seeds 0.325 ± 0.022 pp63-3 transgenic seeds 0.328 ± 0.026 pp63-4 transgenic seeds* 0.332 ± 0.021 pp63-6 transgenic seeds* 0.303 ± 0.018

TABLE 9 Determination of the T3 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp001058012r (containing SEQ ID NO: 13). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 12-19 individual plants per line. g total fatty acids/ Genotype g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.406 ± 0.047 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.488 ± 0.047 pp31-17 transgenic seeds 0.416 ± 0.033 pp31-18 transgenic seeds 0.441 ± 0.043

TABLE 10 Determination of the T3 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp001009079f (containing SEQ ID NO: 16). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 12-18 individual plants per line. g total fatty acids/ Genotype g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.406 ± 0.047 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.488 ± 0.047 pp37-2 transgenic seeds 0.434 ± 0.032

TABLE 11 Determination of the T2 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp004076330r (containing SEQ ID NO: 19). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 15-18 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.487 ± 0.023 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.513 ± 0.031 pp11 transgenic seeds 0.509 ± 0.032

TABLE 12 Determination of the T2 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp004040301r (containing SEQ ID NO: 22). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 17-18 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.487 ± 0.023 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.513 ± 0.031 pp58 transgenic seeds 0.496 ± 0.019

TABLE 13 Determination of the T2 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp002024092r (containing SEQ ID NO: 25). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 16-19 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.533 ± 0.020 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.622 ± 0.058 pp48 transgenic seeds 0.555 ± 0.042

TABLE 14 Determination of the T2 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp001031042f (containing SEQ ID NO: 28). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 15-19 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.451 ± 0.038 C-24 wild-type seeds 0.483 ± 0.040 pp74 transgenic seeds 0.468 ± 0.043

TABLE 15 Determination of the T3 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp032010072r (containing SEQ ID NO: 31). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 14-17 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight C-24 wild-type seeds 0.430 ± 0.034 Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.398 ± 0.029 pp08-12 transgenic seeds 0.414 ± 0.023

TABLE 16 Determination of the T2 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of s_pp001068093r (containing SEQ ID NO: 34). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 14-19 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight C-24 wild-type seeds 0.439 ± 0.036 Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.419 ± 0.034 pp84 transgenic seeds 0.442 ± 0.037

TABLE 17 Determination of the T4 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of s_pp013010011r (containing SEQ ID NO: 37). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 14-20 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight Col-0 wild-type seeds 0.366 ± 0.024 pp100-5-3 transgenic seeds 0.499 ± 0.054 pp100-5-4 transgenic seeds 0.447 ± 0.040 pp100-5-9 transgenic seeds 0.463 ± 0.051

TABLE 18 Determination of the T2 seed total fatty acid content of transgenic lines of c_pp004096088r (containing SEQ ID NO: 40). Shown are the means (± standard deviation) of 14-20 individual plants per line. Genotype g total fatty acids/g seed weight Col-2 wild-type seeds 0.365 ± 0.028 pp12 transgenic seeds 0.375 ± 0.013

Example 9

Analysis of the Impact of Recombinant LMPs on the Production of a Desired Seed Storage Compound: Soluble Sugars, Starch and Proteins

For the extraction of soluble sugars and starch, 50 seeds are homogenized in 500 μl of 80% (v/v) ethanol in a 1.5-ml polypropylene test tube and incubated at 70° C. for 90 minutes. Following centrifugation at 16,000 g for 5 minutes, the supernatant is transferred to a new test tube. The pellet is extracted twice with 500 μl of 80% ethanol. The solvent of the combined supernatants is evaporated at room temperature under a vacuum. The residue is dissolved in 50 μl of water, representing the soluble carbohydrate fraction. The pellet left from the ethanol extraction, which contains the insoluble carbohydrates including starch, is homogenized in 200 μl of 0.2 N KOH, and the suspension is incubated at 95° C. for 1 hour to dissolve the starch. Following the addition of 35 μl of 1 N acetic acid and centrifugation for 5 minutes at 16,000 g, the supernatant is used for starch quantification.

To quantify soluble sugars, 10 μl of the sugar extract is added to 990 μl of reaction buffer containing 100 mM imidazole, pH 6.9, 5 mM MgCl₂, 2 mM NADP, 1 mM ATP, and 2 units 2 ml⁻¹ of Glucose-6-P-dehydrogenase. For enzymatic determination of glucose, fructose and sucrose, 4.5 units of hexokinase, 1 unit of phosphoglucoiso-merase, and 2 μl of a saturated fructosidase solution are added in succession. The production of NADPH is photometrically monitored at a wavelength of 340 nm. Similarly, starch is assayed in 30 μl of the insoluble carbohydrate fraction with a kit from Boehringer Mannheim.

An example for analyzing the protein content in leaves and seeds can be found by Bradford M. M. (1976, “A rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of microgram quantities of protein using the principle of protein dye binding” Anal. Biochem. 72: 248-254). For quantification of total seed protein, 15-20 seeds are homogenized in 250 μl of acetone in a 1.5-ml polypropylene test tube. Following centrifugation at 16,000 g, the supernatant is discarded and the vacuum-dried pellet is resuspended in 250 PI of extraction buffer containing 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 250 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% (w/v) SDS. Following incubation for 2 hours at 25° C., the homogenate is centrifuged at 16,000 g for 5 minutes and 200 ml of the supernatant will be used for protein measurements. In the assay γ-globulin is used for calibration. For protein measurements Lowry DC protein assay (Bio-Rad) or Bradford-assay (Bio-Rad) can be used.

Enzymatic assays of hexokinase and fructokinase are performed spectrophoto-metrically according to Renz et al. (1993, Planta 190: 156-165), of phosphogluco-isomerase, ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase, pyrophosphate-dependent 6-phospho-fructokinase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, triose phosphate isomerase, glyceral-3-P dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphoglycerate mutase, enolase and pyruvate kinase can be performed according to Burrell et al. (1994, Planta 194: 95-101) and of UDP-Glucose-pyrophosphorylase according to Zrenner et al. (1995, Plant J. 7: 97-107).

Intermediates of the carbohydrate metabolism, like glucose-1-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate, pyruvate, and ATP can be measured as described in Hartel et al. (1998, Plant Physiol. Biochem. 36: 407-417) and metabolites are measured as described in Jelitto et al. (1992, Planta 188: 238-244).

In addition to the measurement of the final seed storage compound (i.e., lipid, starch or storage protein) it is also possible to analyze other components of the metabolic pathways utilized for the production of a desired seed storage compound, such as intermediates and side-products, to determine the overall efficiency of production of the compound (Fiehn et al. 2000, Nature Biotech. 18: 1447-1161).

For example, yeast expression vectors comprising the nucleic acids disclosed herein, or fragments thereof, can be constructed and transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae using standard protocols. The resulting transgenic cells can then be assayed for alterations in sugar, oil, lipid or fatty acid contents.

Similarly, plant expression vectors comprising the nucleic acids disclosed herein, or fragments thereof, can be constructed and transformed into an appropriate plant cell such as Arabidopsis, soy, rape, maize, wheat, Medicago truncatula, etc., using standard protocols. The resulting transgenic cells and/or plants derived therefrom can then be assayed for alterations in sugar, oil, lipid or fatty acid contents.

Additionally, the sequences disclosed herein, or fragments thereof, can be used to generate knockout mutations in the genomes of various organisms, such as bacteria, mammalian cells, yeast cells, and plant cells (Girke at al. 1998, Plant J. 15: 39-48). The resultant knockout cells can then be evaluated for their composition and content in seed storage compounds, and the effect on the phenotype and/or genotype of the mutation. For other methods of gene inactivation include U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,804 “N on-Chimeric Mutational Vectors” and Puttaraju et al. (1999, “Spliceosome-mediated RNA trans-splicing as a tool for gene therapy” Nature Biotech. 17:246-252).

Example 10

Purification of the LMPs from Transformed Organisms

A LMP can be recovered from plant material by various methods well known in the art. Organs of plants can be separated mechanically from other tissue or organs prior to isolation of the seed storage compound from the plant organ. Following homogenization of the tissue cellular debris is removed by centrifugation, and the supernatant fraction containing the soluble proteins is retained for further purification of the desired compound. If the product is secreted from cells grown in culture, then the cells are removed from the culture by low-speed centrifugation and the supernate fraction is retained for further purification.

The supernatant fraction from either purification method is subjected to chromatography with a suitable resin, in which the desired molecule is either retained on a chromatography resin while many of the impurities in the sample are not or where the impurities are retained by the resin while the sample is not. Such chromatography steps may be repeated as necessary, using the same or different chromatography resins. One skilled in the art would be well-versed in the selection of appropriate chromatography resins and in their most efficacious application for a particular molecule to be purified. The purified product may be concentrated by filtration or ultrafiltration, and stored at a temperature at which the stability of the product is maximized.

There are a wide array of purification methods known to the art and the preceding method of purification is not meant to be limiting. Such purification techniques are described, for example, in Bailey J. E. & Ollis D. F. 1986, Biochemical Engineering Fundamentals, McGraw-Hill: New York).

The identity and purity of the isolated compounds may be assessed by techniques standard in the art. These include high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectroscopic methods, staining methods, thin layer chromatography, analytical chromatography such as high performance liquid chromatography, NIRS, enzymatic assay, or microbiologically. Such analysis methods are reviewed in: Patek et al. (1994, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60: 133-140), Malakhova et al. (1996, Biotekhnologiya 11: 27-32) and Schmidt et al. (1998, Bioprocess Engineer 19: 67-70), Ulmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (1996, Vol. A27, VCH: Weinheim, p. 89-90, p. 521-540, p. 540-547, p. 559-566, 575-581 and p. 581-587) and Michal G. (1999, Biochemical Pathways: An Atlas of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, John Wiley and Sons; Fallon, A. et al. 1987, Applications of HPLC in Biochemistry in: Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vol. 17).

Example 11

In Vitro Analysis of the Function of LMP Genes in Transgenic Plants

The determination of activities and kinetic parameters of enzymes is well established in the art. Experiments to determine the activity of any given altered enzyme must be tailored to the specific activity of the wild-type enzyme, which is well within the ability of one skilled in the art. Overviews about enzymes in general, as well as specific details concerning structure, kinetics, principles, methods, applications and examples for the determination of many enzyme activities may be found, for example, in the following references: Dixon, M. & Webb, E. C. 1979, Enzymes. Longmans: London; Fersht, (1985) Enzyme Structure and Mechanism. Freeman: New York; Walsh (1979) Enzymatic Reaction Mechanisms. Freeman: San Francisco; Price, N. C., Stevens, L. (1982) Fundamentals of Enzymology. Oxford Univ. Press: Oxford; Boyer, P. D., ed. (1983) The Enzymes, 3^(rd) ed. Academic Press: New York; Bisswanger, H., (1994) Enzymkinetik, 2^(nd) ed. VCH: Weinheim (ISBN 3527300325); Bergmeyer, H. U., Bergmeyer, J., Graβl, M., eds. (1983-1986) Methods of Enzymatic Analysis, 3^(rd) ed., vol. I-XII, Verlag Chemie: Weinheim; and Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (1987) vol. A9, Enzymes. VCH: Weinheim, p. 352-363.

The activity of proteins which bind to DNA can be measured by several well-established methods, such as DNA band-shift assays (also called gel retardation assays). The effect of such proteins on the expression of other molecules can be measured using reporter gene assays (such as that described in Kolmar H. et al. 1995, EMBO J. 14: 3895-3904 and references cited therein). Reporter gene test systems are well known and established for applications in both pro- and eukaryotic cells, using enzymes such as β-galactosidase, green fluorescent protein, and several others.

The determination of activity of membrane-transport proteins can be performed according to techniques such as those described in Gennis R. B. (1989, Pores, Channels and Transporters, in Biomembranes, Molecular Structure and Function, Springer: Heidelberg, p. 85-137, 199-234, and 270-322).

Example 12

Assessment of the mRNA Expression and Activity of a Recombinant Gene Product in the Transformed Organism

The activity of a recombinant gene product in the transformed host organism can be measured on the transcriptional or/and on the translational level. A useful method to ascertain the level of transcription of the gene (an indicator of the amount of mRNA available for translation to the gene product) is to perform a Northern blot (for reference see, for example, Ausubel et al. 1988, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley: New York), in which a primer designed to bind to the gene of interest is labeled with a detectable tag (usually radioactive or chemiluminescent), such that when the total RNA of a culture of the organism is extracted, run on gel, transferred to a stable matrix and incubated with this probe, the binding and quantity of binding of the probe indicates the presence and also the quantity of mRNA for this gene. This information at least partially demonstrates the degree of transcription of the transformed gene. Total cellular RNA can be prepared from cells, tissues or organs by several methods, all well-known in the art, such as that described in Bormann et al. (1992, Mol. Microbiol. 6: 317-326).

To assess the presence or relative quantity of protein translated from this mRNA, standard techniques, such as a Western blot, may be employed (see, for example, Ausubel et al. 1988, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley: New York). In this process, total cellular proteins are extracted, separated by gel electrophoresis, transferred to a matrix such as nitrocellulose, and incubated with a probe, such as an antibody, which specifically binds to the desired protein. This probe is generally tagged with a chemiluminescent or calorimetric label which may be readily detected. The presence and quantity of label observed indicates the presence and quantity of the desired mutant protein present in the cell.

The activity of LMPs that bind to DNA can be measured by several well-established methods, such as DNA band-shift assays (also called gel retardation assays). The effect of such LMP on the expression of other molecules can be measured using reporter gene assays (such as that described in Kolmar H. et al. 1995, EMBO J. 14: 3895-3904 and references cited therein). Reporter gene test systems are well known and established for applications in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, using enzymes such as beta-galactosidase, green fluorescent protein, and several others.

The determination of activity of lipid metabolism membrane-transport proteins can be performed according to techniques such as those described in Gennis R. B. (1989 Pores, Channels and Transporters, in Biomembranes, Molecular Structure and Function, Springer: Heidelberg, pp. 85-137, 199-234 and 270-322)

Example 13

In Vivo Mutagenesis

In vivo mutagenesis of microorganisms can be performed by incorporation and passage of the plasmid (or other vector) DNA through E. coli or other microorganisms (e.g. Bacillus spp. or yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae) which are impaired in their capabilities to maintain the integrity of their genetic information. Typical mutator strains have mutations in the genes for the DNA repair system (e.g. mutHLS, mutD, mutT, etc.; for reference, see Rupp W. D. 1996, DNA repair mechanisms, in: Escherichia coli and Salmonella, p. 2277-2294, ASM: Washington.) Such strains are well known to those skilled in the art. The use of such strains is illustrated, for example, in Greener and Callahan 1994, Strategies 7: 32-34. Transfer of mutated DNA molecules into plants is preferably done after selection and testing in microorganisms. Transgenic plants are generated according to various examples within the exemplification of this document.

Northern-Hybridization

For RNA hybridization, 20 μg of total RNA or 1 μg of poly-(A)+ RNA is separated by gel electrophoresis in 1.25% strength agarose gels using formaldehyde as described in Amasino (1986, Anal. Biochem. 152: 304), transferred by capillary attraction using 10×SSC to positively charged nylon membranes (Hybond N+, Amersham, Braunschweig), immobilized by UV light and prehybridized for 3 hours at 68° C. using hybridization buffer (10% dextran sulfate w/v, 1 M NaCl, 1% SDS, 100 μg/ml of herring sperm DNA). The labeling of the DNA probe with the Highprime DNA labeling kit (Roche, Mannheim, Germany) is carried out during the prehybridization using alpha-³²P dCTP (Amersham, Braunschweig, Germany). Hybridization is carried out after addition of the labeled DNA probe in the same buffer at 68° C. overnight. The washing steps are carried out twice for 15 minutes using 2×SSC and twice for 30 minutes using 1×SSC, 1% SDS at 68° C. The exposure of the sealed filters is carried out at −70° C. for a period of 1 day to 14 days.

Example 14

Identification of LMP Homologues

Gene sequences can be used to identify homologous or heterologous genes from cDNA or genomic libraries. Homologous genes (e.g. full-length cDNA clones) can be isolated via nucleic acid hybridization using for example cDNA libraries: Depended on the abundance of the gene of interest, 100,000 up to 1,000,000 recombinant bacteriophages are plated and transferred to nylon membranes. After denaturation with alkali, DNA is immobilized on the membrane by e.g. UV cross linking. Hybridization is carried out at high stringency conditions. In aqueous solution hybridization and washing is performed at an ionic strength of 1 M NaCl and a temperature of 68° C. Hybridization probes are generated by e.g. radioactive (³²P) nick transcription labeling (High Prime, Roche, Mannheim. Germany). Signals are typically detected by autoradiography.

Partially homologous or heterologous genes that are related but not identical can be identified analog to the above-described procedure using low stringency hybridization and washing conditions. For aqueous hybridization the ionic strength is normally kept at 1 M NaCl while the temperature is progressively lowered from 68 to 42° C.

Isolation of gene sequences with homologies (or sequence identity/similarity) only in a distinct domain of (for example 10-20 amino acids) can be carried out by using synthetic radio labeled oligonucleotide probes. Radio labeled oligonucleotides are prepared by phosphorylation of the 5′-prime end of two complementary oligonucleotides with T4 polynucleotide kinase. The complementary oligonucleotides are annealed and ligated to form concatemers. The double stranded concatemers are than radiolabeled by for example nick transcription. Hybridization is normally performed at low stringency conditions using high oligonucleotide concentrations.

Oligonucleotide Hybridization Solution:

-   6×SSC -   0.01 M sodium phosphate -   1 mM EDTA (pH 8) -   0.5% SDS -   100 μg/ml denatured salmon sperm DNA -   0.1% nonfat dried milk

During hybridization, temperature is lowered stepwise to 5-10° C. below the estimated oligonucleotide Tm or down to room temperature followed by washing steps and autoradiography. Washing is performed with low stringency such as 3 washing steps using 4×SSC. Further details are described by Sambrook et al. (1989, “Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press) or Ausubel et al. (1994, “Current Protocols in Molecular Biology”, John Wiley & Sons). 

1. An isolated Lipid Metabolism Protein (LMP) nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) the full-length polynucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:19 or SEQ ID NO:20; and b) a polynucleotide sequence encoding the full-length polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO:21.
 2. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide of at least 100 consecutive nucleotides of the LMP nucleic acid of claim
 1. 3. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity with a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the full-length polynucleotide as shown in SEQ ID NO:19 or SEQ ID NO:20 and a full-length polynucleotide encoding the full-length polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO:21, wherein said polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity, wherein expression of the LMP nucleic acid in a plant results in a modified level of a lipid in the plant as compared to a control plant, and wherein the control plant has not been transformed with the LMP nucleic acid.
 4. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide complementary to the full-length LMP nucleic acid of claim
 1. 5. The isolated LMP nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide that increases the amount of a lipid in a plant when the polypeptide is expressed in the plant.
 6. The isolated LMP nucleic acid of claim 5, wherein the nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide that contains a PEPCK domain.
 7. The isolated LMP nucleic acid of claim 6, wherein the nucleic acid encodes the full-length polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO:21.
 8. A first isolated nucleic acid that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a second nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of: a) a second nucleic acid comprising the full-length polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:19 or SEQ ID NO:20; and b) a second nucleic acid encoding the full-length polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:21; wherein the first nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide that has phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity and that functions as a modulator of a lipid in a plant.
 9. A recombinant expression vector comprising the LMP nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein expression of the vector in a host cell modifies a level of a lipid in the host cell.
 10. A transgenic plant cell comprising the LMP nucleic acid of claim
 1. 11. The transgenic plant cell of claim 10, wherein expression of the LMP nucleic acid in the plant cell results in a modified level of a lipid in the plant cell as compared to a control plant cell, and wherein the control plant cell is of the same ecotype as the transgenic plant cell but has not been transformed with the LMP nucleic acid.
 12. A transgenic plant comprising the LMP nucleic acid of claim
 1. 13. The transgenic plant of claim 12, wherein the plant is a dicotyledonous plant.
 14. The transgenic plant of claim 12, wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant.
 15. The transgenic plant of claim 12, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, canola, linseed, soybean, sunflower, maize, oat, rye, barley, wheat, sugarbeet, tagetes, cotton, oil palm, coconut palm, flax, castor and peanut.
 16. The transgenic plant of claim 12, wherein expression of the LMP nucleic acid in the plant results in a modified level of a lipid in the plant as compared to a control plant, and wherein the control plant is of the same ecotype as the transgenic plant cell but has not been transformed with the LMP nucleic acid.
 17. The transgenic plant of claim 12, wherein the level of the lipid is increased.
 18. A seed produced by the transgenic plant of claim 12, wherein the plant is true breeding for a modified level of the lipid as compared to a control plant, and wherein the control plant is of the same ecotype as the transgenic plant but has not been transformed with the LMP nucleic acid.
 19. A method of producing a transgenic plant having a modified level of a lipid comprising, transforming a plant cell with an expression vector comprising a Lipid Metabolism Protein (LMP) nucleic acid and generating from the plant cell the transgenic plant, wherein the LMP nucleic acid comprises a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) the full-length polynucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:19 or SEQ ID NO:20; and b) a polynucleotide sequence encoding the full-length polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO:21.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plant is a dicotyledonous plant.
 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant.
 22. The method of claim 19, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, canola, linseed, soybean, sunflower, maize, oat, rye, barley, wheat, sugarbeet, tagetes, cotton, oil palm, coconut palm, flax, castor and peanut.
 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the level of the lipid is increased.
 24. A method of increasing the level of a lipid in a plant comprising, increasing the expression of a Lipid Metabolism Protein (LMP) nucleic acid in the plant, wherein the LMP nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: a) the full-length polynucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:19 or SEQ ID NO:20; and b) a polynucleotide sequence encoding the full-length polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO:21.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the plant is a dicotyledonous plant.
 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant.
 27. The method of claim 24, wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, canola, linseed, soybean, sunflower, maize, oat, rye, barley, wheat, sugarbeet, tagetes, cotton, oil palm, coconut palm, flax, castor and peanut.
 28. The method of claim 24, wherein the level of the lipid is increased.
 29. The method of claim 24, wherein the plant is transgenic.
 30. The method of claim 24, wherein the plant is not transgenic.
 31. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity with the full-length polynucleotide as shown in SEQ ID NO:19 or SEQ ID NO:20 or with a polynucleotide encoding the full-length polypeptide as shown in SEQ ID NO:21. 